1. Schedule classes as wisely as possible.
If you’re not a morning girl don’t opt for the 8:00 Anthropology course {it has nothing to do with fashionable shop windows & super cute clothes, by the way =)}. Sure, sometimes to get the classes you need you have to do what you have to do, but when you’ve got options choose wisely!
2. Mind those deadlines!
College lends itself to lots of red outlined dates on the calendar. There are, of course, homework & assignment dates + dates to drop or add classes, scholarship deadlines, dates to apply for a particular program of study, registration for next semester, etc., etc. You don’t want to find yourself in a lurch because you missed a deadline. Check with your advisor & with the school’s online calendar for pertinent dates, & be diligent in keeping track of them on your own calendar, too.
College lends itself to lots of red outlined dates on the calendar. There are, of course, homework & assignment dates + dates to drop or add classes, scholarship deadlines, dates to apply for a particular program of study, registration for next semester, etc., etc. You don’t want to find yourself in a lurch because you missed a deadline. Check with your advisor & with the school’s online calendar for pertinent dates, & be diligent in keeping track of them on your own calendar, too.
3. Don’t skip classes!
As a freshman, I saw more & more of my classmates fall into this trap. Sure, there’s no one forcing you to go to Geology 101, but here’s why you should go: 1) You miss material that’s covered {if I was one to say “duh,” I’d say such here =)}. 2) In some classes, attendance is part of the grade. 3) You’re not getting your $’s worth. 4) Most importantly, it’s not a help to your witness or pleasing to God. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” –Colossians 3:23 NIV
4. Search for cheap textbooks.
It’s no secret college books can break the bank. Even though many are going digital, they’re still pretty pricey. Check out these places for deals:
Cheapest Textbooks {This site lets you compare several options!}
5. Work the campus!
The first day lots of people will be juggling a schedule in one hand & a campus map in the other. Lost? If someone looks friendly, & like they know where they're going, ask for directions. I did this plenty at the beginning of the first couple of semesters. I can't recall anyone that I asked {or begged} for direction being anything less than kind & most often helpful {unless of course they were lost, too}. Plus, this can be a way to meet people. No, I'm not saying pretend to be lost so you can bond Hansel-&-Gretel style over your confused state, but you know what I mean. Eventually I was the one giving directions {& offering before asked, on occassion, to those especially befuddled looking students - cause, yep, I've been there}. It was sorta like a rite of passage - the lost becomes the direction giver & the circle of life is complete, or something like that. =)
Love {& College Knowledge},
-Bess-
P.S.: Course 2 coming in a bit {a bit is a couple days, in this case}.
Can I just pack you in a suitcase and take you to college with me, Bess? You seriously have awesome advice! I'm going to copy and paste this to a word doc. and print it out! I really like how you ended tip number 3, by bringing it back to God. Sadly, I often forget how the little decisions I make can really hurt my witness for Him.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for the second post! :)
<3
Gabrielle
P.S. I got your package in the mail yesterday!!! I seriously cried as I opened gift after gift after gift. I wrote you a letter that explains how much I absolutely LOVED the gifts, so I won't take up any more comment space.