First Year In College? Don’t Make These Common Mistakes!

Freshman year in college can be a little overwhelming. It could be easy to let everything get the better of you. Here we take a look at some tips to avoid letting common freshman mistakes get the better of our college experience.

Ignoring Covid Guidelines

This may seem like an obvious one, but at the moment adhering to all safety guidelines is of utmost importance. It would be easy to get fed up with them and let them slip, however, you must remember how important keeping yourself and everyone around safe really is during this trying time.

Doing It All By Yourself

You don’t need to do everything alone! There are plenty of places to seek help for all sorts of things while in college. Grinds in subjects, self help, social care, counselling services. All are available on campus for all students. It is not a sigh of weakness to seek help if you need it and it can really make your life a whole lot easier if you simply as for help.

Skipping Classes

While it can be easy to get caught up in the more relaxed vibe that college has, it is important to remember that every single class you have counts. It is not a good idea to start skipping classes, especially not in your first few weeks of your course. Start as you mean to go on and attend ever lecture and tutorial.

Procrastinating

Another thing that the laid back atmosphere of college lends itself to is procrastination. Lecturers and tutors are not on your back hounding you for class materials like they were in school. But don’t let this be a reason to put things off until the last minute. Staying on top of your work is vital if you want to get the best possible grade you can.

Pulling Too Many All Nighters

On the flip side of the previous point, it can also be easy to get too caught up in doing too much work. You dont want to end up too tired to properly focus while in your college classes, so it is important to make sure you get enough rest each night.

Taking On Too Much

This can have to do with how many extra curricular activities you engage with and perhaps how many part time jobs you take on. You need the time to study and to attend college too. So try not to take on too much or make too many commitments to ensure you dont burn yourself out.

Not Managing Your Time

Part of not burning yourself out is making sure you come up with a suitable time management plan. You should create a schedule for yourself to make sure you fit everything you need to fit in without exhausting yourself.

Too Much Partying

The freedom that you feel during your first few months of college can lead to developing a huge social life. While this is really important, it is also equally as important to remember not to over do it on the partying front. Remember you are not just in college to make friends, you are there to get a qualification too!

Losing Control Of Your Finances

A great idea is to come up with a budget for yourself. Eating, lights and heat are your priorities, followed by college supplies, then comes money for socialising. Creating a budget can make sure you dont lose track of your finances and ensure you stay on top of your money situation.

Letting The Pressure Get To You

You immediately go from being a teenager to being an adult in your first year of college. This can feel like a lot of pressure to a lot of students. Remember to reach out to the college campus counsellors if you feel as though the pressure is getting too much for you.

Starting college is an exciting time and there is a lot involved in it. By making sure you dont make any of these mistakes in your freshman year, it should set you in good stead to have the best college experience you can possibly have.

 

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