Greetings Freshmen,
Congratulations, you have completed high
school and have officially started your first year of college. The transition
from high school to college is like a rite of passage and although the first
year of college seems like an exciting time it’s also a time filled with angst
and confusion. As an introvert finishing my first year of college, I know how
it feels to stress over things like choosing the right major or maintaining a
desired grade point average. I’ve come up with six tips that will help you ease
your way into your freshmen year of college. The tips I will mention are tips
that I wish someone had told me before going to college.
Tip #1: It’s okay not to know what to
major in.
It’s perfectly fine to be fickle! In
high school I was dead set on becoming a journalist; however, once I entered
college and started taking classes, I began to steer away from journalism and
began to wander off to other majors like English and Psychology. If you are
indecisive and don’t know what you want to major in keep in mind that you are
about to embark onto a University that will grant you access to intriguing
courses and innovative people. Also, you will have plenty of time to decide; however,
within that time frame you should do some research on the majors you are
interested in. The Career Center on campus is a good place to go to if you’re
indecisive about your major. The Career Center could help you look for
internships and get a job on or outside of campus.
Tip #2: Join a Club/ Organization
Sorry introverts, I hate to burst your
bubble of solitude but I highly advise you to join a club. Joining an
organization or club will enable you to network and meet new people. I know
that meeting new people is awkward and scary; luckily, you will already share
common interests with the people in the club/organization since you are all
there with a common purpose. During my first quarter at CSULA, I joined the
Feminist Majority leadership Alliance club and met a lot of friendly people who
made the transition into college a lot smoother. If you do decide to join a
club, don’t feel pressured into staying in the club all four years if you don’t
want to. There will be many clubs that will spark your interest and yes it’s
okay to be in more than one club.
Tip #3: Don’t stress about grades.
As students, we have all been
conditioned to think that grades are important. I used to believe that the
grades I received defined my self-worth. The problem with focusing too much on
grades is that eventually you’re going to lose joy in learning. I noticed that worrying
about my grades was one of the main contributors to my anxiety as a freshman. Entering
my second quarter, I decided to stop caring about the end result and just enjoy
learning the content taught in class. After focusing more on learning than my
overall grade, I noticed that I started to understand the material a lot better
and actually saw an improvement in my grades.
Tip #4: Be Proactive and ask questions!
Being proactive means to always be one
step ahead of the game. Proactive people go the extra mile and do things before
they are told or asked to do it. Being proactive is a habit; a habit that will
take time to adjust to. You don’t necessarily need to be an overachiever to be
proactive, all you need to do is have the courage to ask questions about
anything you might have a question to. Remember that your professors are not
mind readers; therefore, if you have a question make sure to ask. Don’t be
afraid that your question might sound stupid because if you don’t ask, you’ll
never get an answer to something that may come in handy in the future.
Tip #5: Know the type of environment you
work best in.
I know how difficult it is to resist the
temptation to procrastinate. It is important to know the type of environment
you can study and work best in because it will decrease your chances of
procrastinating. Personally, I feel most productive when I’m at a public space
like the school’s library or the Annex Link locations on campus. Annex Links
are free computer labs located on campus that allow students to use basic and
expensive computer programs for school assignments.
Tip #6: Bug the hell out of your counselor
Your relationship with your counselor is
going to help you a lot in college! Your counselor is the person who will help
you keep track of which courses you need to take to meet your major requirements or even transfer requirements. Also, your counselor is loaded with tons of
information like who to talk to so you can change your major or where to go for
financial aid help and other important things. Make sure to meet with your
counselor at least once every quarter so you can know which steps to take towards
reaching your goals.
Your experience at CSULA is
determined by what you do in and outside of campus. My advice to you is to be
ambitious and enjoy your time learning in college because right now your brain
is a sponge waiting to soak up any drop of information that is available. You
are blessed with the opportunity of attending a four year university which is
an opportunity that is often sought out for by many people who want a rich and
fulfilling life. Once you graduate, which I know you will, you will attain an
education that no one could ever take away from you.
Bonne
chance,
Nayeli Romero
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