7 Things You Need To know As A First Year College Student

Time management

College is a whole other ballpark. Your schedule will not be planned for you, and no one will be right behind you telling you what to do. It's up to you to take the initiative and seek help if needed. The advisors are an excellent resource for helping you choose your classes, but regarding the order of your schedule, that will be entirely up to you. You will want to get an agenda or a calendar to manage life, school, and work to stay more organized. Make a timeline of the day(s) and see what will fit where. During the semester, when it was time to choose classes for the next semester, I always found it super helpful to get a piece of paper (or a few) and write down all of the classes I needed, their available days/times, and from there choose the ones that fit best with my schedule. 

Look for your classroom location before the first day

Do not wait until the last minute to look for your classes; you don't want to be late. Most colleges have a big campus, and looking for your class locations on the first day will be challenging. Save yourself the extra stress by looking for your classes anytime before they start or at least getting to school a couple of hours early to give yourself time to wander around calmly and locate them. 

Space out your classes

Bunching up all your courses consecutively into a couple of hours seems more convenient, but trust me, it's not. You will find out real soon that after 1-2 consecutive classes, you will need a break for lunch, homework, or just your time. Breaks are extremely important, especially if you have several classes throughout the day. Give yourself enough time to eat and breathe before your following lecture. 

Pack snacks and a good lunch

As I mentioned previously, having lunch breaks is essential for a productive school day. Yes, schools will have cafeterias and different fast food joints to choose from, so you always have the option to buy something, but why would you spend extra money (that could go towards your books) when there's food at home? Yes, I said it; there is food at home, hahaha. 

Don't skip class

Missing one day of class (for some courses) is like missing two weeks. When I say some professors stick to the syllabus like it's a life raft, they stick to it! They will stick to their schedule, no matter how fast they have to go or how many chapters they must cover. That's why it is up to you not to miss class; catching up can be a nightmare (especially if it's a more challenging course). 

Books, Get Them ASAP

As soon as the syllabus is emailed or uploaded to Canvas, scroll down to the books and start ordering them! Some professors will expect you already to have the book on the first day of class, so be proactive and order it early! 

School Advisors, Career Centers, and Financial Aid Centers Will Be Your Best Friend

Luckily, when I was a freshman in college, Cal State Fullerton had a first-year program called the Office of First Year Experience (OFYE). This program was a first-year semester-long course that helped students navigate their first year of college. In this course, I was introduced to many campus resource centers/programs that I would not have known of otherwise. Sadly, the program shut down a couple of years ago for some unknown reason. This program was a huge help; it was a bummer to find out it was shut down because I know it would have helped other first-year students. But, if your school still needs a program like this, look for the career center or the advisors. They will help you navigate your first year a little better.