Top 5 College Tips

Here are my top 5 college tips for soon-to-be college freshmen (or current students). I'll be writing more in-depth posts about each of these in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

Tip #1: Don't resist change

College is not high school (Halleluya!) and within a few weeks of starting - maybe even before that - you will not be the same person you were in high school. Let's be honest, it's probably for the best.

Call your parents, but don't let them make your decisions and fight your battles.

Keep in touch with friends back home and friends who went to other universities, but don't spend every weekend driving back to visit them (this goes for boyfriends and girlfriends too!).

If there's something about yourself that you want to change (it was shyness for me) this is the best time to start working on that. Don't be frustrated if it doesn't happen over night, but gradually you will come to understand yourself more and to, hopefully, like yourself more.


Tip #2 : Try to make friends wherever you go

I'm not going to say college doesn't have cliques, but all sorts of people become friends, especially in the first few weeks. You could find your best friend in the cafeteria, the university library, your classes, your residence hall, or sleeping right next to you in your dorm room (that was not meant to sound so creepy!).

And don't worry about not fitting in, there is a place for litterally everyone at college and eventually you will find where you belong. Here's a link to my full post about making friends in college http://adviceforthealmostadult.blogspot.com/2013/03/making-friends-and-fitting-in-at-college.html.



I studied abroad in Chester, England.
A beautiful and lively little city that I will always love.

Tip #3. Study Abroad if you can.

I never thought this would be an option for me becuase of money, but don't be so quick to write it off! A large portion of your financial aid could transfer if you go through the right program and you can try to find additional scholarships to help you pay for the costs. Talk to the study abroad advisor at your university to learn about your financial options.

I did have to take out additional loans but in the grand scheme of things it's not that much more than I would have paid for a semester at home (I'll be honest and tell you that by the time I graduate I'll have taken out $50,000 in loans, by studying abroad I only added about $2,000 to that total.)



Tip #4. Start making connections with your professors as soon as possible

A time will come when you will need to ask at least one of them for a letter of recomendation and you don't want to spend a month hyperventalating about choosing one to ask and fearing that they will reject you (not that I know anything about that).

Try to ask a question on the first day (maybe about the syllabus), if it's a discussion-based class try to add to the conversation at least once per class period, and go to see them during office hours in the first few weeks.

Forming a relationship with your professors will certainly be harder at some schools than others (I'm lucky to have gone to a small university with professors who are really easy to get in touch with). But no matter where you go it will be easier developing that relationship over several semesters than in your final year.

My university organized a trip to San Francisco for incoming
freshman. We had fun, bonded, and did community service!

Tip #5. Take advantage of the services your university offers

This can include a career resource center, counciling services, a gym, knowledgable and helpful librarians, free events (with free food and free shirts!), guest lecturers, a nutritionist, sporting events, opportunities to make connections with alumni, and partially sponsored travel opportunites (and those are just the ones off the top of my head!).

You're paying A LOT to study at that university, so get you money's worth!

Oh, and go to class! Seriously! You're paying somewhere near $100 per hour for your classes, so sleeping through a class is a very expensive nap.
                                                
                 
                      
Those are my top 5 college tips, but you never can be too prepared, so if you need more college tips check out these other posts:

• Dorm Decorating Tips
• Tips For Surviving Your Mid-Semester Crisis
• Tips For Staying Healthy In College

What are your top 5 college tips (or tips for high school, life, whatever!)? Leave a comment, I'd love to know! Also let me know if there's anything you'd like me to see me blog about!