There are many things that you should know before going to college, and many things that you should track down once you are there. There are a lot of things you need to keep track of anyway, so heres a list of a few things you should know before going to college that will make things run a bit smoother. Heres a quick primer on some of the more practical matters that will make sure that you get started on your college career in the right way. Your First Semester is, of course, not an exhaustive list of everything that your students need to do or know before they begin college.
Reading anything and everything prior to your students starting college helps to prime your students mind to be ready to learn. Even if you studied one specific topic in high school, you will go in far deeper and in greater detail in college. College courses will challenge you in ways your high school classes did not.
In college, your professors and peers will test your preconceived ideas about the world and how you think about things. People learn a lot about themselves in college, and things happen that change how we think. Some students make the mistake of thinking getting into a college allows them to skip classes, get into skits, or do things in school that diminish the learning experience for all.
The idea that going to college is a kind of gliding leisurely through the four years (or so) where students only care about finishing their classes and figure out what cool stuff to do on weekends is quickly changing. Most students will switch majors at least once in the course of a year at university, and it is not a bad thing. Keep in mind, a lot of students switch their majors throughout their time in college (sometimes multiple times).
For most students, going to college is their first time living away from home. School is right around the corner, and for some of us, it means walking onto a college campus for the first time as students. Getting started in your first semester at university can be terrifying, and even the most anxious first-year aspiring student has questions.
Moving away for college might be the first time in your life where you are making everyday financial decisions for yourself. For many students, college provides their first chance to control their lives and make their own decisions. Maybe you already know what you want to do with your life, but for the majority of students, college provides an opportunity to explore, explore options, and discover what you are (s)most interested in. As you tackle your collegiate job and engage with the university experience, you are going to be exposed to new ideas and challenges.
You are not going to stay at university forever, and chances are, you are likely to get a few jobs, internships, and experiences during your time at the college. If you are thinking of going back to college one day, do it one day, right now. Every week, every month, every year that you cut down on the amount of time it takes you to get your bachelors degree is going to save you money and time, and it is going to get you a lot closer to getting your bachelors degree. When taking a course in college, anytime can be a great time to finish your work.
Even if you are taking care of tuition and you do not need to worry about working, it is smart to learn to budget when in college, if you have not learned yet. There are always going to be reasons to avoid making college fit in to your life, but finances should not be one of them. Knowing how to manage your taxes will set you up for life after college. It can really inconvenient having to wait on mommy to send you money, and it will teach you to handle your finances yourself (I wrote an entire guide to college budgeting, if you would like to know more).
Economic constraints can be huge disincentives to college applicants – especially when a student has a family to feed and/or full-time jobs to maintain. While this description may still fit many students experiences, the fact is a sizable percentage of college students must work full-time in order to make ends meet. Before you go saying, My students cannot work, they are going to be studying the whole time, consider this: Research shows that students who work as much as 20 hours per week during their time at college, earn higher grades, on average, than those who do not.
For most students, the whole point of going to college is to find a fulfilling job contributing to society (and to avoid moving back to the parents basement). One of the most valuable benefits of going to college is meeting people.
College offers many opportunities for your students to be involved and to build connections. Nearly all colleges have an array of clubs and student organizations, frequent on-campus events, and other activities. Colleges typically have a list of registered student organizations, and often have flyers and posters around campus about things to do and clubs to join.
Your students will be socializing with lots of people at the college, from their classmates, to their professors, to the campus staff. You are probably going to come across a bunch of people at college that share your values and interests. Your students will be exposed to the colleges resources, will get a glimpse of campus and the places where your students will take classes, and will handle the required paperwork, which may include registration for classes and getting an ID.
Orientation is one of those cannot-miss steps that your student needs to do before they begin college. Your first class at or in a college (s)hapes teach you more about going back to college than anything else you have ever read — it does not matter what class, and it does not matter what your intended major is.
Well, it is a chance to jump in front of the collegiate academic game, use other students experiences, and avoid making any expensive mistakes. All the knowledge in the world is no help if you leave college without any professional experience or relationships. Before leaving college, there are certain skills that every freshmen needs to acquire.
