As some of you know, I finished my freshman year of college this past May. As the upcoming school year is quickly approaching, I thought it might be quite appropriate to talk about the “Do’s and don’ts” of being a freshman. Here it goes!

DON’T put the social aspect above academics. While making friends and having a good time in college is wonderful, the reason you are there is to get your education. Make sure to keep up with your assignments, go to class, and study when necessary.

DO make friends. Friendship plays such a major role in the college experience. They become your second family, especially if you are attending a school far from home. My school, Southeastern University, made it exceptionally easy to make friends very quickly; between hall events, Battle of the Dorms, the Underground, and so many fun things to do & ways to meet people.

 

DON’T buy your books from the bookstore or ahead of time. They are way too expensive and if you drop a course you may not be able to get your money back for a course text you bought/rented.

DO order your books online or from a second-hand bookstore, AFTER you have attended your classes and are sure you will not be adding/dropping any. Also, be sure to check with your professors because sometimes you don’t actually NEED the book for the course or you’ll be okay to simply borrow a friends when necessary.

DON’T feel like you need to have your whole life planned out. Sure, some people do. And some like to act like they do, but if you don’t, that is totally and 100% OKAY. Heck, I still don’t know what I’m doing.

DO take gen eds first. It may seem fun to jump right into the deep courses specific to your major, but if you end up changing your mind, it could set you back a semester or two, and that means money wasted. Take your general education courses first to give you time to try to figure things out.

 

DON’T get lazy or be uninvolved. There are so many things to do around campus, there is no reason to sit in your dorm all day. The freshman 15 is a real thing and could even turn into the freshman 20 or 30 if all you do is binge Netflix.

DO grab a friend and go to the gym, take a yoga or cycling class together at your local fitness center, join a team or club! Be sure to talk to your resident assistant about fun things to do in your new city.

 

DON’T get discouraged. It can be really tough adjusting to a new environment with new structure and new people, in a new place.

DO understand that you’re not alone. Your entire freshman class is most likely feeling the same way, just nobody wants to say anything. Talk to an upperclassman or professor about ways to get out of your funk and always remember that God has placed you here for a reason & He will never give you something you can’t handle! 🙂

 

I hope you all enjoyed this, I sure enjoyed writing it! Like this post, leave a comment down below, and subscribe to my Youtube channel!! Thank you all so much for reading, have a wonderful freshman year (: