Orientation sessions acquaint college freshmen with university policies and procedures, office locations and various other resources available for students attending the university. Use orientation as an opportunity to become friends with fellow freshmen and build strong support systems including friends, academic advisers, and various college staff members. Academic advisers work with students in selecting academic majors, course schedules each semester and dropping or adding courses. Other university staff members provide assistance for disabled students, students receiving financial aid, job placement after graduation and housing.
Getting to class and other meetings on time are your responsibility. Use electronic PDAs, wall calendars and notepads for staying organized and remembering important meetings, class announcements and other important engagements during the semester. Arriving for classes and meetings on time, or even a few minutes early, promotes a dependable reputation and increases credibility among professors and other students. Avoid absences from class unless there is a valid excuse for being absent.
Develop excellent study habits early in your first year of college. Spending two hours each night studying notes improves your retention of essential course information, and success with class projects and examinations. Choose a quiet area to study course notes and textbooks each night. Avoid studying in noisy dorm rooms, student centers and places where noise causes distraction. Avoid cramming all night before midterm and final exams. Cramming results in poor retention of course material and poor course grades. Plan to study important notes chapter by chapter during the week of midterms and finals. Studying each course for one hour each day during midterms and finals improves the likelihood of earning a passing grade on midterm and final exams
Joining student organizations and participating in student activities enhance the college experience. Many college freshmen enjoy participating in or attending sporting events including baseball games, football games and basketball games. Engaging in extracurricular activities and social events during college forms strong friendships that often endure for years after college graduation.
While feeling occasionally overwhelmed with coursework and deadlines is a normal part of the college experience, no one expects you to sacrifice your personal life for perfect academic performance. Seek out people whom share similar interests without being pushy or overbearing. Introduce yourself to the students in the dorm room across the hall, the cashier at the bookstore or the student who works part-time in the student center. Making small talk with people you see every day is great tool in building strong friendships and relationships. Avoid socializing during the week of mid-term and final examinations each semester. Use this time for studying; celebrate after you finish the last exam of the semester. Don't be afraid to call up friends and tell them you need time to temporarily forget all the stress you're experiencing during college.