Adia Watts– Culture Editor
When I was a senior in high school, I couldn’t wait to get out and make my way to college. As much of a cliche as it may be, I really should have cherished my high school moments. Living in Oneonta can be a bit overwhelming at first if you’ve never been on your own before. Sometimes leaving behind your friends and family can be the hardest part of college. Other challenges include time management, organization skills, roommate conflicts and money management. Here are some tips for first-year students to help with these problems and more.
What you did in high school does not matter. No one cares if you were cool or popular. No one cares what you’re doing now. They’re just trying to graduate and you should be doing the same.
Friends from high school may not last. If you didn’t talk to those people outside of school, chances are you won’t continue to talk to them once you get to college. Your closest friends, on the other hand, will remain in your life. Making new friends is crucial to a fun college experience. To find new friends, you may want to join clubs and meet people with interests similar to yours. Meeting people in your classes who share your major is not only a great way to make friends, but also a great way to find a study partner.
Manage your time well. If you are a procrastinator, try to break the habit as soon as possible. You don’t want to be up at three in the morning finishing a paper that’s due at nine.
Be organized. Get a planner, get a big calendar, get a place where you can write assignments and put it somewhere that is easily visible.
SAVE YOUR MONEY! You won’t have a lot to begin with, so save as much as you can for important things. College is expensive and when people say college students are broke, it is not an exaggeration.
Don’t bring all your clothes on move-in day; you won’t need them. But be sure to bring some things that remind you of home: a teddy bear, pictures, anything sentimental.
Call back home at least once a week. You won’t have time to call all the time because you will be busy. If you’re calling home once a day or more, something is wrong and you will worry your family.
Make time for yourself. You don’t always have to study, but don’t always party either. Try something you wouldn’t normally do. Explore, college is all about learning new things and not just things in the classroom.
The Freshman 15 is not a myth. Make sure you don’t overindulge in greasy, cheap fast food. However, if you have a moment of weakness and need some grease and cheese in your life, Mills Marketplace is open until 1 a.m. and serves pizza, sandwiches and other snacks to purchase with your Declining Dollars. Dominos delivers and is open until 2 a.m. and they even take Dragon Dollars! Then later, you can exercise and stay healthy by going to one of the two gyms on campus in Chase or Alumni Field House.
Make sure you get out and enjoy our beautiful campus. If you’re stuck in your room all the time, you’re going to hate college. Take advantage of the free events on campus like Laughing in the SAAC, movies at the Red Dragon Theater, video games in the Dragon’s Lair and many of the other events that are advertised in the weekly campus broadcast email.
Most of all, have a good time. Your time in college is what you make it.
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