There is nothing more daunting than the moment you watch your parents drive away and leave you to fend for yourself in your new room, without friends and to the start off your college experience. But, we’ve got 3 key ways that you can succeed during that first year.
GET ORGANIZED
College is the time to get organized. Get a planner and a notebook or folder for each class. Keeping things separate will make it easier to find notes or handouts you’ve received in class. Staying organized will keep you sane and help you get things done. Grades always reflect your effort. Professors do understand when your printer runs out of ink or your alarm doesn’t go off; just don’t make it a habit. If you find yourself struggling in class don’t be afraid to ask for help. Go to your Professor’s office hours, go to the Writing Center to get a tutor or just get a second look on a paper. –Erin Demers
LEARN TO MANAGE YOUR TIME
It’s your first year in college, how should you manage your time? Grab your computer and open up a word document. Write out the days of the week and the classes with the times that you have each day. Find the open spaces you have throughout the day and plan out how you are going to fill those empty hours. Think about homework, but keep time open for your friends and having alone time to clear your head. Lastly a piece of advice, don’t procrastinate your work just be organized to keep yourself stress free.—Gianna Gerace
GET TO KNOW YOUR SCHOOL
In college, you no longer have teachers. You now have professors. Professors are there to help enhance your personal interest. So, on that first day, introduce yourself; give them a firm handshake. Let them know in that you are in their class to learn and to grow to be the best person you can be. But to do this, you need to know where to go– the day before your classes begin, take a walk; explore; take a peek at your schedule and learn ahead of time where you need to be and how to get there. Take your roommate or that new friend you just made at your Freshman orientation wit you because let me tell you, there is nothing more daunting than not knowing where you’re going on your first day of college. –MaryElizabeth Pfund
USE THE ADC
Are you having issues adjusting to college papers? Are the notes your chemistry professor is giving you just not cutting it? Are you just realizing that in some types of math, letters are involved? Don’t be discouraged, because there is hope for you yet. The Academic Development Center, or ADC is an organization that helps students improve and understand their work. So, even if you feel that you will never grasp the concept of a thesis statement, one of the ADC’s tutors can help you understand, and pretty soon your essays will be flowing like Ernest Hemingway after a writer’s block breakthrough.—Erica McLaughlin
GET INVOLVED ON CAMPUS
Unlike the lame high school dances you had to sit through before going to the after party, participating in on-campus activities can be a fun way to start off your weekend. “Friday Night Live” is the prime place to get all those free t-shirts that take over a Salve kid’s wardrobe. “Friday Night Live” and “Things for Thursday” offer activities such as air-brush t-shirts, caricatures, balloon animals, and sometimes even a bouncy house! These on campus activities are a great way to get involved and release the inner child in you! Some may think going to college is about growing up, but getting involved on campus is the perfect way to indulge in those guilty pleasures.—Alexa Thompson
AVOID THE FRESHMEN 15
Every incoming freshman hears one thing about their first year of college: the freshmen fifteen. Don’t fear freshmen, you can be successful with your eating habits that will not only keep your figure but leave you feeling focused, fit, and driven. Both dining halls, Miley Hall and Wakehurst, offer numerous healthy food options from the salad bar to the fruit section. Now, how does one avoid the desert table or those greasy foods we love? Well, remember it is okay to enjoy those fatty foods, it is all about moderation and control!—Cayley Christoforou
