5 Things that fresh-man should avoid

Entering college can be a big life adjustment full of new experiences and challenges. To set yourself up for success in the years to come, you must start on the right foot.

Everyone's experience will be different, and there are many ways to live your college journey but there are also many things you shouldn't do. Here are the top things you should avoid.

1. Underestimating the Transition to College

College professors expect you to complete the work sufficiently to apply your knowledge to new and unique situations presented on exams, not just get by.

Many high school courses emphasize memorization and repetition more than truly engaging with the material. Completing all of your homework and projects in high school can boost your grade, allowing for lower test scores.
However, in college, midterms and final exams frequently account for a large portion of your overall grade, whereas homework primarily contextualizes your learning. You might even enroll in some college courses where homework is optional or assignments count only for a small participation grade.

Transitioning to classes focusing on understanding the material deeply and functionally could prove difficult for many first-year students. And there are also many things going on in your life right now. Students should expect to have moments that seem too much or overwhelming. As one student says, be prepared to feel completely unprepared.

2. Having too much fun

While the social aspect of college is undeniably important, overdoing it in your first semester can jeopardize your transition to the rigors of college coursework.

Meeting new people and participating in campus clubs and organizations is beneficial, but you must remember to strike a balance. If your grades fall or you fail a class, you may lose scholarships or have to pay to retake it.

Along with your social life, it's critical to prioritize study time and adequate sleep. Spend your first semester striking a good balance that allows you to maintain good grades while having fun with friends.

3. Skipping social activities because you are always busy with your studies

Try to keep your first college year bee light. You might be excited to learn a bunch of new things or want to earn as many credits as you can each year, but your first semester of college is an ideal time to make friends and join club activities. The first term will also be the easiest time to join clubs amid the influx of back-to-school activities and bonding events.

If you're constantly studying because you've enrolled in too many classes, you'll miss out on a lot of unique social opportunities with your new campus life that only comes around when you're a first-year student. By the time the semester comes to a close, students have started solidifying their friend groups, meaning fewer students are actively looking for new friendships.

4. Don’t procrastinate and prioritize your life

It may have been possible in high school to leave an assignment until the last minute and still get a good grade, but this will not work well in college. Set deadlines for yourself and stick to them.

College is all about learning. If you procrastinate and may still do well on tests, you’ll learn very little which is not very good for your job career later in life because you do not have much knowledge to apply.

5. Being late to classes

The most serious thing is being late. You should try to avoid it at any cost because every professor hates their speech being interrupted.