Tips For New College Students

The excitement of going to college can cause many students and parents restlessness. Just try to remember some basic things. Your parents have taught you well, you are a good person and college should be fun. There are a few other things that you may want to remember along the way.

Enjoy your experience, get to meet new friends, and find a major that you are passionate about for your studies. Even though college is four years of you life, they will be some of the hardest and greatest times you will ever have.

Living in Dorms

Most college students live in a dormitory that first year away from home. Don’t trust that just because your roommate is a Christian that you will be a match made in heaven. As soon as you two are given each others names and contact information, start emailing each other to see what your common grounds and similarities are. Try to make a good connection.

If you don’t have time before the big move, make time during that first week to talk about some important college issues. Talk with your roommate about cleaning your rooms for example. Who is the morning person and who is the night rambler? All of those things will make a difference. Try to be open and upfront with each other and communicate well.

Balancing Work And Education

Your schedule is going to be very hectic the first few weeks, but if you are throwing a job in the mix, it is going to be more difficult. Work on getting your schedule written down a couple of places so that you don’t forget a class or when you have to be at work. You don’t have your parents around to remind you of where you are supposed to be at certain times. Try not to work too much if possible. The extra money will be good, but it won’t help your grades or your sleeping.

Try to spread the work out a few hours at a time. No one wants to work every weekend. It might be okay in the beginning of the year, when you don’t know anyone, but after a while it will not work, you will be longing for your weekends back.

Social Life

Find time to mingle with other students. College is such an awesome time in your life. People are on your campus from all over the world. Learn about the various places they are from. Get to know the other students. You may even be able to spend time at their home for part of the holiday vacation if you can’t go to your home because it’s too far.

Activities

Many opportunities exist on a Christian College campus for extracurricular activities. Sports programs are available such as football, basketball, track and field, tennis and softball for women. Swimming, soccer, and equestrian sports are also available on some campuses. Music, both instrumental, and voice programs exist for students to hone their skills. Writing opportunities for students to publish their works are also on campus. Artistic students can practice their craft through the arts and photography.

Studying habits

Bring your good study habits with you to college. If you don’t have any, get prepared to focus on doing the proper study techniques for a successful year. Learn to take notes, figure out when and how you study best. Keep pencils and paper with you at all times, you never know when you will find time to get in some extra studying.

Learn to enjoy reading. Get a small recorder if you have to just for note taking. Bring a computer with you to school and make sure you know how to use it. Be prepared  for group study sessions and time alone studying your books.

Schedule

Your first semester will probably be your hardest. Make sure you don’t take too many classes and get overwhelmed at the process of being in school. Besides classes you will need time to study and if you are working, you will need time to work, go to church and some social time to get to know other students. Enjoy being in college. Work on your schedule so that you can experience as much as possible each year you are on campus.

Look for ways to get involved while attending college, you don’t want to go home and wish you had done more, or seen more, or experienced more while in school. You don’t want to have any regrets later on in life. College is what you make it out to be, and a lot of factors are within your control. If you have a good schedule you can do a lot of interesting things while getting your Christian college education.