Tips to Stay Organized and Balanced In College

How I Survived My First Year of College

I am currently a college student and I can understand the challenges and emotions that come with your first year of college. So I wanted to reach out to other college students and give them some advice that helped me survive my first year. Here are some tips that helped me have a successful freshman year and hopefully they can help you too.

Get to know your roommate and others in your residence hall. The people you live with, most of whom are going through similar experiences and emotions, are your main safety net -- not only this year, but for all your years. Just take the time to get to know your fellow first-year students. Another thing that help me was going to all the orientations. Orientations provide important information that can help you first year go smoothly . Also, get organized. I'm have naturally always been organized but for others this may be hard to do. In high school, the teachers tended to lead you through all the homework and due dates. In college, the professors expect you to be prepared. Buy an organizer, a PDA, a big wall calendar, whatever it takes for you to know when assignments are due. Another thing that help me during my first year was that I went to class! Avoid the temptation to skip class. If you can, try and arrange a class schedule that works for you. If you are a morning person, don't pick a 7 am class! Besides learning the material by attending classes, you'll also receive vital information from the professors about what to expect on tests, changes in due dates, etc.

One of the most important tips I could give you, is to become an expert on course requirements and due dates. Professors provide course syllabus so that you will know exactly what is expected of you and when. One of the worst excuses, a student can give a professor is : "I didn't know it was due today." Also if the teachers says one thing about the assignment and the syllabus say another, you can bring it to the teachers attention. Also meet with your professors. Getting to know your professors, especially if later in the semester you run into some snags.