Entering college can be a very fun and confusing time for many students. There are so many decisions you have to make. Being a senior now at Farmingdale, I have faced many of my own trials and tribulation throughout my college career. Overall, I have had a very great college experience, but there are many things I wish I had known when I was a freshman. Below are 5 tips I have learned along the way.

1. Always rent your textbooks.

This is something I highly recommend. My first semester of college I ended up spending about 500 dollars on textbooks because I had bought all of my textbooks brand new. I had no idea you were able to rent textbooks or buy them used. Whether you get your textbooks from the bookstore or order them online remember to always rent if you can. It will defiantly save you money and that’s always a good thing.

2. Get involved with clubs or activates on campus.

This is something all student should do. It is really great experience being involved on campus. It helps you meet tons of people. It may seem scary going to a school where you may not know anyone, but if you just approach a club or group I’m sure they would love to have you join. I am pretty shy, so I didn’t join any organizations my first semesters of college because I was nervous too. Then one day I decided that I really wanted to be involved on campus, so I found out more information on clubs and programs. Deciding to get involved on campus was one of the best decisions I made. It has made my college experience a lot more fun and I wish is had done it sooner.

3. Hand in your assignments on time!

It is extremely important to hand in all your assignments on time. Some professors do accept late assignments and just reduce your grades. But, there are also professors who will give you a zero if you don’t hand the assignment in on time. It is important to hand things in on time because you may have an A paper and then you lose ten points because it was late. It’s not worth losing points just for handing it in late. Plus, don’t you want to just get it out of the way so your work doesn’t start to pile up.

4. Get to class on time.

Always try to get to class on time. I know that it is a struggle getting up for those 8 a.m. classes, but isn’t it worth it if you get a front row parking spot. I always recommend showing up about ten minutes prior to your class starting. This way you have plenty of time to find a parking spot and walk to your class. Also, if you are late for class you will most likely miss important information your professor is going over. You also won’t have to worry about your professor being annoyed that you are late.

5. Don’t stress if you don’t know you exact career.

It’s ok if you don’t know exactly what you want to do when you graduate. You’re a freshman, so you have plenty of time to figure that out. You might even change your mind multiple times before you finally find something you like and that is ok. I know I changed my mind multiple times and everything has worked out great. At college you will have the opportunity to take various different classes, so you might decide you like something you never thought you would before. It is your journey, so take your time to explore.

I hope everyone finds these few tips helpful for their first year of college, or any year. Remember your college experience is yours, try to make these four years some of the best ones because it really does go by fast. Good luck and enjoy the rest of the semester. Thanks for reading!

 

Bye!

Alyssa deToll