Thriving in Your First Year of University: A Comprehensive Guide

The transition to university life marks a significant step into adulthood, filled with both anticipation and a myriad of critical decisions. Whether you were a high school class president, an honor society member, or even valedictorian, the university experience presents new challenges and opportunities. This guide offers comprehensive advice to not only survive your first year of college but to thrive, covering everything from academics and social life to personal well-being and practical tips.

Orientation and Preparation

1. Attend All Orientations

Do you really need to go on yet another campus tour? Yes. The first few weeks on campus are extremely critical for all new students. Orientations are your main safety net - not only this year, but for all your years.

2. Campus Navigation

For anyone who’s directionally challenged, figure out where stuff is before the first day. This allows you to sleep in longer before your first class and can make you less nervous about the beginning of the year. Before school started, pull up Google Maps and find all your classes and even some bonus buildings you weren’t looking for. Type up your own makeshift directions on your phone and use those to navigate.

Academic Success

3. Be Prepared for Classes

Professors hand out syllabi - with course requirements and dates - and expect you to be prepared. Read them carefully.

4. Go to Class

Obvious, right? Avoid the temptation to skip, even though it may be tempting at times. Going to class is one of the best ways to understand course material and achieve the grade you’re hoping for in a class.

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5. Understand Expectations

Going to class ensures you will know exactly what is expected of you - and when.

6. Connect with Professors

Visit your professors, especially if later in the semester you run into some snags. Professors and teaching assistants (TAs) like seeing students with passion for the subject and those who are willing to work hard when they don’t initially understand something. Office hours are designed for questions, so don’t be afraid to approach professors and TAs. The next morning, I met with her about it, and she gave me tips about how to succeed in it. Her advice calmed my nerves and helped me get back on track with the course content.

7. Seek Guidance from Academic Advisors

Academic advisors are really good at directing you toward campus resources. Their job is to support you, so keep them in the loop when you think they can help. Another good rule of thumb is it can’t hurt to ask.

8. Take Advantage of Study Resources

Just about all colleges have learning labs and tutors available. If you’re having some troubles, these resources are another tool available to you. Aside from studying, this is one of the best ways to understand course material and achieve the grade you’re hoping for in a class.

9. Strive for Good Grades

Another obvious one here, right? College is all about learning. Don’t cut corners on tests, because you’ll learn very little.

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Time Management and Organization

10. Keep an Organized Schedule

Schedules tend to fill up fast, so keep everything organized starting your first semester. Since all our classes are on Canvas (an online learning platform), link your Canvas calendar to your Google Calendar so you can see all your classes, deadlines, and club meetings in one place.

11. Seek a Balance

College life is a mixture of social and academic happenings. Don’t swing too far in either direction.

12. Time for Yourself

Schedule time out of your day or week. Whether it’s reading, jogging, or writing in a journal, be good to yourself.

Social Integration

13. Get Involved

A solution to the feeling of not quite belonging? Join clubs, sports teams.

14. Be Open to New Experiences

Be open to new adventures and opportunities to be.

15. Introduce Yourself

Introduce yourself to at least one new person in each of his classes.

16. Embrace Diversity

Embrace the differences in college.

Personal Well-being

17. Prioritize Your Health

Your health will affect everything in college. Get enough sleep, take your vitamins, and eat right. Despite the jokes about college food, you soon will. If the dining hall doesn’t offer you a balanced meal, you may be tempted to go for those extra fries or cookies.

18. Avoid Leaving Campus Too Often

If you were one of those kids who couldn’t wait to get away, avoid the temptation to leave campus too soon or too often. Immerse yourself in life at school.

19. Practice Self-Care

With extracurriculars, classes, and potentially a part-time job, your schedule can feel non-stop, but the work should never be 24/7. When spring, fall, and winter break roll around, use them to recharge. If you miss your family and are able to, go home. If you need to catch up on sleep, then wake up at noon. If you want to finally get that book on gorillas that you’ve been dying to read since middle school, pick it up now! You have a lot of responsibilities in college, but the most important one is to take care of yourself. I find scheduling my breaks gives me something to look forward to, and other times I just listen to how I’m feeling in the moment.

20. Check the Weather

I had to add this to the list after the number of times during my first year that I walked down five flights of stairs, only to be met with a rainstorm. When you’re up high in a building, you can’t hear this at all. I couldn’t even see it looking out my window. You will forget to check, and if you’re running late like I always was, you’ll have to walk in the pouring rain to class.

Financial Responsibility

21. Keep Track of Your Money

If you’ve never had to create a budget, now is the time to do so. Learn to manage the funds you soon be receiving.

Mental Health

22. Seek Professional Help

Most colleges have health and counseling centers. Seek professional help when you need it.

Practical Considerations

23. Plan for Move-Out Day

Since a lot of students don’t have a car and live out of state, move-out day can seem like a hassle. Making a plan in advance is definitely worth it. Storage units fill up fast, and by the time May rolls around, you’ll be left picking one that’s far from campus. Start thinking about this around spring break and you’ll be good to go by the end of the school year.

24. Dealing with Being Late to Class

Despite your best planning, there will come a time (or many if you’re like me) that you’re late to class. Whether it’s a giant lecture hall or a teeny tiny seminar, it’s daunting to walk in after the professor has started lecturing. Don’t let this be the reason you miss class. Usually, doors are left open so you can sneak in. I’ve seen people show up during the last five minutes of class and halfway through an exam. I’ve walked in late and marched to the very front row in huge lecture rooms.

Overcoming Challenges

25. Be Prepared to Feel Overwhelmed

There’s a lot going in your life right now. It may seem a bit too much. As one student says, be prepared to feel completely unprepared.

26. Align Interests with Activities

This sounds obvious, but it’s easy to get wrapped up in things you think you “have” to do rather than “want” to do. Your major, classes, and extracurriculars should align with your interests. Doing things to check boxes will burn you out. Taking at least one class for fun will also give you something to look forward to throughout the week.

27. Embrace Personal Growth

Not only are you learning academically, but you’re also learning how to be an adult. This will come with mistakes. From a school standpoint, you might need to alter your study methods, set reminders on your phone, or reach out for help. From a life standpoint, you might need to be more assertive or improve your understanding of different perspectives and communicating your feelings.

Final Thoughts

28. Remind Yourself You've Got This!

Remind yourself there’s nothing to worry about and you’ve got this! Go at your own pace and don’t compare yourself to others along the way. I started slow, taking only a couple of classes and focusing solely on them. Some people jumped right into a ton of responsibilities and others fell somewhere in the middle. Hopefully my tips will help you adjust to life on campus and remind you that there’s nothing to worry about when it comes to starting college.

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