Congratulations to Lila and everyone else who is going to college. I myself am a student (though more of a full time intern as a teacher this semester than a college student), and I’m having a great time. I wish every incoming freshman a wonderful semester
In the advice department, I think that I’ll break up my advice into three categories: academic, social, and spiritual.
In terms of academic welfare, I strongly recommend that incoming freshmen don’t look at their schedules, see that they only have four classes, and assume that the blank spots on their schedule will be filled with nothing but blissful free time. Those hours are built into your schedule so that you have time to work on projects and papers and complete assigned readings for classes. A rule of thumb is that you should be averaging two or three hours of work for every hour you spend in class. Don’t let yourself fall behind on readings, projects, or papers, or you will regret it at midterms and finals.
I also urge freshmen to meet with their professors after class or go to office hours if they experience any sort of confusion or just to introduce themselves if it is a large study hall class. Your professor should always know your name and that you are interested in the class, so your professor will be interested in helping you succeed. No matter how big the class is, you are responsible for making yourself more than just a number.
Don’t wait for extra credit. It probably won’t come.
Be willing to work your tail off on group projects, and expect to have to do some public speaking, no matter what your major is.
Don’t leave long papers or big projects until the last minute. Work on them a little bit at a time to avoid panicking at the end. You can do your best work only if you aren’t pressed for time. You want to look like you put effort into your work, not as if you churned something rushed out at the last minute to dodge a failing grade.
Avoid all nighters. You will be miserable and tired the next day, and the quality of the work that you stayed up all night to do will suffer. If you don’t leave work to last minute, you can avoid pulling all nighters. Your mind and your body will thank you for this.
Pay attention and take notes in lecture based classes. For discussion based ones, come ready to talk and to listen to your professor and your classmates.
If you are spending hours on schoolwork, keep your brain and body in shape by taking quick little breaks to walk down the hallway and stretch your legs or to get a drink of water to help avoid discomfort and mental fatigue. You can use these breaks as rewards for finishing parts of an assignment.
Always cite material properly, and don’t plagiarize or commit any other form of academic dishonesty. This should go without saying, but I will say it anyway: it’s better to fail doing your own work than to succeed taking credit for somebody else’s.
Pick a major that you are passionate about and narrow down a career and a back up career that you think you’d be good at and enjoy. Take a variety of classes freshman year to help you decide what major you’d like if you aren’t sure.
Know the required courses for your major and for general distribution. Your advisor is there to guide you, but, ultimately, you are responsible for ensuring that you take the right classes.
If you have a meeting with an advisor to sign up for classes, never show up without a list of classes you want/need to take and backups if you can’t be enrolled in those courses. To show up unprepared means that you are wasting your advisor’s time and your own.
Visit the career center on your campus to look for jobs or internships before your senior year. They can almost always help you find a job locally and can help you prefect your resume. Jobs and internships can provide a practical learning experience to complement more theoretical classroom ones.
Socially, be friendly to everyone. Invite the boy from Bio 101 who is sitting alone munching on pizza in the dining hall to come over to your table and join your friends. You don’t have to become best buddies, but you can definitely be acquaintances who smile and wave at each other as you move across the green.
If you are working on a project, be ready to do your share of the work. Come to group meetings and have any tasks you were assigned completed. Try to come up with ideas and be supportive of the ideas that others come up with.
Join clubs. College is a lot of fun when you get to explore your interests with people who share them.
Be respectful of your roommate. Respect his/her privacy. Try not to be noisy when he/she is asleep. Don’t have your friends over at unusual hours. Don’t use his/her stuff without permission. Don’t turn on your music or the television without asking permission first. Don’t eat his/her food without asking. Don’t have your lover over for a tryst in your dorm room. Wave and smile at your roommate when you see him/her on campus outside your dorm room. Make small talk if he/she isn’t studying and you aren’t working either. You don’t have to become inseparable, eternal friends, but you can definitely establish a nice, respectful relationship. Always treat him/her with the same courtesy you would like him/her to treat you with. Be ready to compromise in certain areas, and be prepared to do your part in keeping your room at least somewhat clean or hygienic.
If your roommate does something you deem as unacceptable, talk to him/her about it. Don’t yell, but be calm and firm. Describe what you think he/she did wrong and explain how you would like him/her to act in the future. If he/she apologizes and indicates that he/she is willing to avoid that behavior in the future, thank him/her for their cooperation and continue as if there was no problem now that it has been resolved. If he/she won’t change or won’t compromise with you, explain to your roommate that you will be speaking to your RA so that the RA can help the two of you resolve the issue maturely. Contact your RA and ask to schedule an appointment to discuss the problem that you are having with your roommate. (Try to be as unbiased as possible when describing the problem until you and your roommate can sit down with the RA and each present your side.) Try to look for a solution that works rather than proving that you are right.
Go to plays and concerts on campus. Watch sports games. Attend lectures that the college hosts. You’ll learn and have a great time.
Even if you aren’t athletic, go to the gym. It can help you deal with stress and keep you healthy.
Don’t think that you have to drink. You can find friends who don’t drink and/or who respect your decision not to do so.
Be ready to arrange activities (movie nights, game nights, etc.) in your dorm room or lounge on a Friday with your friends so that you can have fun without endangering yourself.
Observe the quiet hours in your dorm. Don’t keep others awake when they might be trying to sleep before a big exam.
Attend hall meetings and activities. Smile at people on your floor when you meet in the bathroom or hallways. Talk to them about classes and clubs. You live with these people, so be a nice neighbor.
Try to volunteer locally or join service activities at a church and/or on campus. It’s hard to be happy unless you are giving back to the world.
Spiritually, don’t neglect God. No matter how tired you are, say a prayer to Him every night, and try to read your Bible at least a few times a week. The peace and wisdom He provides will get you through the rockiest parts of your semester.
Try to join a Bible Study on campus or create one of your own. It’s very important to have a place where you can talk about Christ without fear of ridicule or rebuke, because college campuses can sometimes be very hostile to Christianity and people who dare to take their religion seriously.
Try to find a church nearby where you feel comfortable worshipping. A larger faith community where you feel welcome and valued can give you a lot of support and can help you continue your spiritual development.
Grades and success are nice, but don’t make idols of them. Remember that your focus should always be on serving God, not on your own glory. Devote yourself to doing God’s will in everything, instead of trying to badger Him into giving you an A plus-plus in everything. You will find happiness by relying on Him, not upon yourself.
