You thought I meant gaining the Freshman 15, didn’t you? For those of you that do not know what the Freshman 15 is, it’s a commonly used term to describe the act of incoming freshmen to college gaining 15 pounds when they begin their college journey.
However, this is a list of things to keep in mind to survive your first year in college, not how to keep those potential 15 pounds down.
I’ve created a list of survival tips for the high school seniors about to embark on what I’d consider the best 4 years of your life. I never had these tips when I was finishing up my senior year of high school.
I believe that using these tips are great to follow and could help you with your remaining three years of college.
15 Ways to Survive Freshman Year
- Before you begin taking your fall courses, find your classes.
- I realized I was transitioning to the University Park campus from Mont Alto and would be attending a campus on a much larger scale. After completing my course registration, I decided to take a trip to the University Park campus with my mom to find the buildings my classes would be located.
I highly recommend students that are new to the campus-whether you’re transitioning from another campus or an incoming freshmen- to visit the campus before-hand to find your buildings. Of course there are maps all over campus to guide you, but it’s a little reassuring to know that while you may not know every building, knowing the ones you will need to be in will help you. And you won’t look like me walking with my kindle with the downloadable campus map. 🙂
- I realized I was transitioning to the University Park campus from Mont Alto and would be attending a campus on a much larger scale. After completing my course registration, I decided to take a trip to the University Park campus with my mom to find the buildings my classes would be located.
- Schedule a time to meet with your adviser
- Whether you step foot on campus fully aware of what you want to major in or you are just as clueless as I was, getting to know your adviser is something that is vital in being successful in college.
Your advisers aren’t just there to help you pick your courses for the upcoming semester, but they may also act as life coaches. They want you to succeed and will help you. I’m here to tell you I am always in the advising office in the College of Communications and I know that if I need something or advice, my adviser will gladly help me.
- Whether you step foot on campus fully aware of what you want to major in or you are just as clueless as I was, getting to know your adviser is something that is vital in being successful in college.
- GET INVOLVED!
- There are a ton of clubs and organizations to get involved in, especially here at Penn State. Finding a club or organization to get involved in will allow you to meet fresh faces and create lifelong memories. It sounds cheesy I know, but I met some of my best friends when I joined Lion Ambassadors at Penn State Mont Alto. Every semester an involvement fair is held for students to sign up for clubs and organizations.
- Attend your first Penn State football game (maybe not your first, but your first as a student)
- I didn’t attend my first Penn State football game until freshman year. I drove two hours from Mont Alto to go and it was probably one of the greatest experiences of my life.
Whether you’re there to cheer on the Nittany Lions or watching our fantastic Penn State Marching Blue Band, this is something students should witness at least once. Walking into Beaver Stadium and feeling the pride of this university is completely eye-opening and it’s where I realized this is where I belong.
- I didn’t attend my first Penn State football game until freshman year. I drove two hours from Mont Alto to go and it was probably one of the greatest experiences of my life.
- Meet new people
- College can be tough. This tip kind of goes with getting involved, but meeting new people and bonding with people in your residence hall will definitely get you through tough times. If it’s your first time away from home and it’s tough adjusting to it, finding people or just one person to go out with or study with will definitely help. Who knows, they could be feeling the same way you are! #InstaBFFs 🙂
- Be aware that help is right around the corner
- This one could be a little tough and possibly slightly depressing, but coming to a school with 45,000 students can be overwhelming. Don’t get discouraged, this isn’t supposed to scare you, but be aware that if you’re having a really rough day or week, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is a great place to go.
A lot of students go through freshman jitters…it is okay! CAPS is great for helping students that are homesick or suffering from anxiety, so don’t hesitate to stop into the offices. And your tuition covers your first 6 visits! Win win!
- This one could be a little tough and possibly slightly depressing, but coming to a school with 45,000 students can be overwhelming. Don’t get discouraged, this isn’t supposed to scare you, but be aware that if you’re having a really rough day or week, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is a great place to go.
- Familiarize yourself with the many websites that you’ll need to refer to throughout the next four years
- Penn State has a lot of different websites that students may need to use, but these are the most commonly used websites. Elion is a website that students use when they need to stay updated on their financial aid, checking final grades, their final semester schedule and many other things.
Webmail is used to check your student email. Once you get your user ID, which usually is your initials and a set of numbers (i.e. mine is nzg5060@psu.edu) you will be able to access it. The Schedule of Courses site is where you will find a list of courses you may select from every semester. ANGEL is the site you use when you need to submit coursework for classes, email your professor and check your grades throughout the semester.
- Penn State has a lot of different websites that students may need to use, but these are the most commonly used websites. Elion is a website that students use when they need to stay updated on their financial aid, checking final grades, their final semester schedule and many other things.
- Attend New Student Orientation
- New Student Orientation (NSO) is held in the summer time for students to get registered for classes, meet their advisers, get their PSU IDs and overall get a feel for the campus prior to the start of the fall semester. NSO is another great way to meet new people.
- Go to THON
- Whether you choose to get involved with the largest student-run philanthropic organization in the world or not, THON is another great way to witness the magnificence of what Penn State is all about. It’s a great weekend to see what the student volunteers at Penn State do to make this event possible.
- Explore downtown State College
- Downtown State College has restaurants, places to study and of course many shops to start your Penn State apparel collection! It’s always great to get a quick pick me up coffee downtown before your next class or meet up with some friends for lunch or dinner.
- Download useful Apps
- Thankfully (or not, depending on how you feel about smartphones) we live in a world where our phones can guide us through the day. The amount of apps that can help you navigate around Penn State is astounding. My fellow intern, Sophia wrote a blog post about the useful apps that students use. If you haven’t already done so, check out her post here.
- Make sure you complete your assignments and homework
- I know it’s freshman year and it’s your first time away from home, so what do you do? You go a little crazy with your newfound freedom. However, school does come first and you (or your parents) are paying for you to go college, so homework obviously has to be done. Don’t forget why you’re in college in the first place, so make sure that your studies are a priority. Slacking off freshman year is a big no no!
- Network, network, network!
- I know what you’re thinking…why do I need to do that if I’m only a freshman? Depending on what you plan on doing after you graduate from college, you may want to get a jumpstart on networking with faculty, staff and alumni if possible. Don’t hesitate to start building your resume early, because the more experience you have the better.
- Adopt a sense of time management
- Start this early as well. Juggling classes, possibly work and extra-curricular activities can be hard especially during freshman year. By being able to manage your time and prioritizing during your first year, it will make it a lot easier when you’re in your core classes and juggling bigger assignments, jobs and internships.
- Remember that time flies and just enjoy it!
- You’re only going to be a freshman in college once, so just embrace the fact that you’re really here and succeeded in making it to college. Before you know it, you’ll be like me struggling to deal with the fact that your four years is up and the real world is calling your name. Live it up and enjoy being a college student!
And of course, don’t be upset if you pack on the Freshman 15. It happens to all of us. Keep these 15 freshman tips in mind and you will be golden. 🙂
- You’re only going to be a freshman in college once, so just embrace the fact that you’re really here and succeeded in making it to college. Before you know it, you’ll be like me struggling to deal with the fact that your four years is up and the real world is calling your name. Live it up and enjoy being a college student!
For the Glory…
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