So, here's a few tips for new college students:
1) Understand your schedule. If you're on a larger college campus, it could take up to an hour to cross campus, especially in northern states where winter gets in the way. Figure out where your classes are, how far apart they are, and how long it typically takes to get to each class. Most professors start their classes on time and end at the scheduled time, and being even a couple minutes late could result in not getting information and possibly affecting your grade.
2) Transportation. If you go to a commuter school, be sure to get to campus at least an hour before your class starts to figure out the parking situation, and where you may have to end up parking. (See tip #1). If you are staying on campus at a smaller school, see tip #1. If you're on a larger campus (i.e. Michigan State University, Indiana University, etc) where busing is available, determine on whether or not transportation is economically and time suitable.
3) Befriend your fellow students. Especially once you start working on your degree specific classes, most of your fellow classmates will be in your classes for a few more semesters. Befriending them will help in the future in group projects and study groups in the semester.
4) Meet with your advisers. Meet with them at least once a semester just to make sure that everything is going according to how you think it should be going. Don't wait until you have a problem to meet with your adviser. Typically, if your adviser knows you beyond your student ID number, they'll be able to help you more.
5) Meet with your professors. See tip #4.
6) Take advantage of the resources. Every college campus has a library, but most also have learning labs and FREE tutors available that will help you. Did I mention the tutors are FREE!? Don't wait until the week of finals when you're scrambling to cram a semester's worth of information to try and work with a tutor.
7) Go to class. This seems really obvious, but the temptation to skip class for one reason or another may be overwhelming. Going to class will not only get you information covered in the syllabus, but also vital information such as date changes, due dates, and test information. Also, many professors will bump up a grade if you attend class every day. On the flipside, if you don't attend class, you could be jeopardizing your grade.
8) Do your homework. Depending on the class, not all the material will be covered in class. Besides allowing you to better understand the material covered in class, there could be information the professor doesn't cover or there could be questions which end up being on the next test. In many cases, professors who assign homework will make it 20%-40% of the final grade. Just keeping up with your assignments could mean the difference between a 2.0 and a 3.5.
9) Don't procrastinate. This isn't high school. Teachers very rarely accept assignments turned in after their due date, unless you have a valid reason. Being hungover is not an excuse. Doing your assignments in a timely fashion not only ensures you having a better grade, but will reduce your stress during finals week.
10) Plan to take a communications class. (This is the professional in me coming out) While you don't have to take it your freshman year, taking a communications class will not only make it easier to communicate with your peers, but can also cover a required credit and make you more desirable to employers who are looking for people that have communication skills beyond texting.
11) Get out and enjoy yourself. While college is a frantic time, set some time aside to get out and enjoy yourself. Take a few hours during the week to do something you want to do. Explore campus, go to a museum, or just chill out in the Student Union. Go on a small trip during break to just be yourself and chill out.This doesn't mean a trip to Cancun. Limit a trip to 100 miles away from campus if you don't want to go back home. Better yet, organize a trip with your fellow classmates on a small trip to help absorb the costs.
12) Get plenty of rest. This may be a carry over from high school, but don't party until 3am and think you can get up for your class at 8am. 99.9% of this time you will either not wake up in time, or get to class in time and fall asleep in class. Getting enough rest will not only help in bumping your grades since you'll be more awake, but it'll also boost your immune system. Nothing sucks more than having to battle finals week with a cold.
13) Shop around for books. You don't have to buy books from the campus bookstore. Most of the time the books there are more expensive then they have to be. If there are off-campus bookstores, check the prices there. Amazon is also a great source for books, but just make sure you can get the books before the semester starts. Used books are a great way to save money.
I'm sure there are more tips for freshmen, but I've run dry and need more caffeine.
