Starting college is akin to sitting at the front row of a rollercoaster—it’s an exciting and thrilling adventure, but the twists and turns might be a little bit more intense than you expected.
Luckily, there are ways to avoid getting dizzy and enjoy the ride from start to finish.
The following tips can help you navigate the challenges you may face as you embark on this new journey. From studying tricks to financial advice, these are invaluable nuggets of wisdom that can make your first year in college a breeze.
1. Get a Planner
In college, you’ll get a level of freedom far greater than anything you experienced in high school. But with freedom comes responsibility, and you’ll soon learn that managing your new responsibilities and tasks is a delicate balancing act.
A planner can help you make sense of the chaos that can be in your schedule. By writing down your daily tasks, responsibilities, assignments, and evaluations, you can prioritize what needs your attention and avoid being surprised or overwhelmed.
There are countless options worth considering. Digital planners, notebooks, calendars, boards, or bullet journals—the perfect option depends on you.
2. Use Your Campus Resources
As a first-year student, you should get familiar with your campus’s resources as soon as possible.
Beyond orientation, you can expect to find tutoring services, a health center, academic advisors, various financial aid programs, numerous recreational options, and more. It all depends on your campus, so be sure to do your due research and take advantage of all the benefits you can enjoy.
3. Don’t Buy New Textbooks
Buying new textbooks can get quite costly, and the prices add up if you account for each semester and class. However, you can significantly reduce your expenses by purchasing used textbooks.
Not only do used textbooks provide the same information as new ones for significantly cheaper, but you can also resell them once you’re done using them and get a return on your investment. What’s better, you might even get lucky and find an annotated version that can help you.
There are many online options, but for your convenience, you can easily compare textbook prices and save money with DirectTextbook.
4. Start Networking Early
The sooner you start building connections in college, the better. Not only do they help you navigate campus, but they can also open the doors to future internships and job opportunities.
To get started, make an effort to attend campus events that align with your interests, as this will help you meet new people and establish foundational connections. Likewise, don’t be afraid to talk with professors and ask them questions—they’re there to help!
5. Budget Your Money
Your first year in college is the foundational step on your path to independence and all the adult responsibilities that come with it. Managing your money is the most important thing.
Budgeting is no easy task, but you need to get started. While you can find numerous online tutorials that cater to your specific needs, a good place to start is by keeping track of your income and expenses to help you visualize your spending habits.
After that, you can develop a strategy for the future, such as the 50/30/20 rule or the ‘pay yourself first’ method. It all depends on what suits you best.
6. Use Textbook Solutions Wisely
Nowadays, you can find textbook solutions and homework answers all over the internet, with step-by-step explanations included. This powerful tool can support your studies and help you deepen your knowledge, provided you use it correctly.
With the help of textbook solutions, you can do your exercises and compare your results to detect potential mistakes and flawed procedures, making them a powerful learning tool.
However, be careful. Using textbook solutions to cheat would hinder your learning process and put you at risk of expulsion from your institution.
7. Keep a Cheap but Healthy Diet
Attending college with the idea of relying on fast food, coffee, takeout, and vibes can be very tempting, but that can be a costly mistake.
Eating an unbalanced diet can deplete energy, impair memory, and reduce focus. The results can be devastating, as this increases your susceptibility to illness and hinders your ability to learn.
Cooking at home is cheaper and healthier, saving you a lot of money and headaches in exchange for a little bit of your time. If you don’t know where to start, there are tasty and easy college meals that require almost no cooking skills yet can make a massive difference in the long term.
8. Take Advantage of Student Discounts
First-year college students are often unaware of the numerous discounts available to them. From clothing to entertainment, numerous retailers offer student codes that can significantly impact your budget and save you a substantial amount of money.
Countless online websites list all the student discounts you might find in your area, but make it a habit to ask around and show your student ID—you never know what you might find.
9. Learn About Credit and Debt As Soon as Possible
Learning the basics of credit and debt as soon as you enroll in college gives you a head start on the game, fostering healthy financial habits that can help you minimize debt, establish good credit practices, and set you up for success.
Credit cards may be tempting, but try to use them with caution and within your budget, as interest rates can be high and lead to a burden of debt.
10. Take it Easy
All these tips might seem overwhelming, but you don’t need to get started all at once. Your first college experience should be joyful, allowing you to explore the world around you, enjoy your independence, and form new and lasting connections.
Balance is key. While responsibility is essential, self-care is just as important. Enjoy the fun aspects of college with moderation, keeping these tips in mind. You’ll discover that your college life will be much easier than you thought.
Photo: RDNE Stock project via Pexels.
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