Advice for College Freshmen

It is absolutely nuts to me to think that I am about to enter into my senior year of college. My goodness, where did the time go? On one hand, I feel like my time at the University of South Alabama has been kinda slow (all those longgggg nights of writing papers, haha), but on the other hand, I feel that is has truly flown by.

After I graduated high school, I was so excited to start my journey in college. I was definitely feeling mostly excitement, but I'm not gonna lie... I was pretty terrified, too (hehe). I had no idea what to expect. I had grown so used to my routine of high school, where I knew everyone and everyone knew me. I knew college would be a completely different ball game, but I couldn't wait to see what was in store nonetheless.

I wanted to write this post to share some of the advice that has helped me and that I've learned over the past three years... advice that I hope can help some seniors who just graduated high school and who are moving into their freshman year, or even help someone who has been in college for a while.

So here we go, my (less.than.expert) advice for upcoming college freshmen:

1. Go to class.

Simple advice really, but it is SO important. I can't tell you how many classes I've been in where I would see some students on only the first and last day of class and then on test days. Almost every time without fail, the students who actually went to class made the better grades and actually learned what they were being taught. I truly think that in most cases attendance has a direct correlation with your final grade.

Now can I be completely honest with you? Though I regularly attend class (only missed twice thus far throughout my college career due to sickness, *pats self on back.* You can call me a nerd, I totally give you permission.), I can't say that I always paid 100% attention...

There were times I'd go to class simply to be counted for the roll, and there were times where I would play on my phone while the teacher lectured (bad Claire, I know). Sometimes I'd even fall asleep (bad, bad Claire, haha). Here's the deal though... the lecture or class isn't always going to be super entertaining or fun, but it is so important to attend. (I wouldn't advise playing on your phone by the way... most professors hate it and will even kick you out sometimes.. eek.) 

So what's the bottom line? 

Going to class helps you know the material better, allows your professor to get to know you better, and helps you in the long run with tests/midterms/finals/projects/papers etc.

I've come to realize that the more effort I put in, the more reward I see in the end (whether that's a good grade or simply a better knowledge base). Well duhr, Claire, that makes total sense. 

2. Establish effective time management skills

 (a.k.a. try not to procrastinate).

Welcome to college, folks... the wonderful world where procrastination dominates (but only if you let it). Raise your hand if you've ever fallen victim to procrastination? (hand shoots up in air) Claire's status: guilty.

Well, this is a topic I think many people can relate to. In college, it is SO easy to put something off till last minute, whether it's studying or a paper. Because I'm an English major, I'm pretty sure I've written like 48578493 million papers over the last three years (or it feels like it at least, haha), so this is where my procrastination hits home. 

It's incredibly easy to put off doing a paper because your professor usually gives you the prompt like a month (or a couple weeks) ahead of time. So you end up saying, "Oh, I have plenty of time to write this! *insert happy dance*" But then before you know it... it's the night before it's due, and you haven't even started. What a bummer.

So what's my advice about avoiding procrastination? 

Don't let yourself get behind and do a little bit at a time so you don't get overwhelmed. 

If you have a paper due or a test to study for, start working on it a couple weeks ahead of time. You don't have to write the whole thing in one sitting, but maybe writing a paragraph or two or brainstorming some written ideas will help with the procrastination. 

You may be like me and like to crank that paper out in one sitting. I'm the type of person that I like to sit down and write the majority of what I want to say at one time. I then leave the paper for a day or two, come back to it to reread, and make corrections from there. The point here is to not start the night before it's due. Give yourself some time to write it, leave it, and come back later with a fresh pair of eyes to correct and edit.

Do whatever works best for you. 

Everyone has different methods and styles, so find one that's effective and stick with it. :)

3. Get to know your professors and allow them to get to know you.

Before entering college, I heard everyone say things like, "Your professors will never know your name" and "Your professors could care less about your success." Okay, this may be true for a lot of professors, I totally get that. But I am so thankful to say that the majority of my professors at South have been absolutely wonderful.

There have been a few not-so-great ones in the mix, but I can say that every professor (minus about 2 or 3) has not only learned my name but also come to know me personally as a student. I know it's hard to get to know your professor and for them to know you in a class of hundreds of students; I totally get that. But for me personally, my class sizes have run anywhere from 5 students (we started out with 10 and the rest dropped, haha) to around 40, which makes the whole process a lot easier.

My advice: introduce yourself to your professor. Go up to them before or after class and help them put a face with a name. Email them if you have a problem or need help. Go to their office hours if you need assistance. Volunteer in class if they ask a question. 

(I know many of you out there are thinking I'm a super nerd at this point, but that's quite alright. :))

I have come to see that most professors want to know their students and enjoy when students show effort in getting to know them (or at least showing an interest in the class itself). 

Your professor (most of them anyway) will totally do everything they can to help you if you put forth the effort.

4. Get involved. 

For me, it wasn't about getting involved in sorority or an on-campus club or anything like that. What I'm the most happy about is the honor and privilege of becoming part of the PUR college Bible study at Chad's church, Forest Hill Church of God. Chad and I started going to PUR right before the start of our sophomore year, and boy, what a family we have found there!

Why get involved in a college Bible study group? 

First off, it is so awesome to be encouraged by folks who are your own age and going through much of the same stuff you are going through. You are able to connect with people each week, have people to pray for and with you, and have awesome people to hang out with, go on trips with, and simply have fun with. They are there to build you up in the Lord, encourage you, support you, and pray for you. How awesome is that?

Another thing I'm really glad I got involved with is intramural sports. If you are a sports lover like myself, this is the perfect way to continue the game you love and have a competitive yet fun thing to do each week.

So choose whatever you like best! Find a Bible study group (and totally come to PUR if you're looking for a family of cool college kids, hehe), play intramural sports, join a club or something if that's your thing. Choose something that will make you better as a person and help make your college career more enjoyable and meaningful.

5. Remember why you're there.

Okay, don't get me wrong here. I totally think it's okay to have fun in college. Hey, I personally am gonna try to find something fun in everything I do in life, so why would four years of college be any different? 

But I believe you have to remember the main reason you're there. Is it to solely have fun? Ehhh probably not. College is the place where you attain a higher education. You are there to learn, better yourself academically, and become prepared for your future career. Sure, it is perfectly okay to have fun, but you've got to keep your purpose in mind and your priorities straight. Don't let yourself get distracted by things that will bring you down and jeopardize your academics. 

(I thought this was funny, haha) I think you can have all three if you can manage your time well! :)

6. Choose a major you love.

I mean after all, it is going to most likely be what you do for the majority of your life. So why not choose something you absolutely love to do? Thankfully, I knew what I wanted to do from the get-go and was blessed not to have to change my major after entering college.

Is it okay to have one major in mind and then after a few classes, realize that's not what you want to do? ABSOLUTELY. That's what your starter classes are for. I do think you need to have an idea of the general direction you want to go though (that way you don't waste a ton of money hehe).

Choose a major based off what you love to do in life, not necessarily how much money you want to make. Because if you choose a major strictly because you're going to start out at $100,000, most likely you won't be happy with what you're doing each day. Now if what you love helps you make $100,000, more power to ya, hehe! That'd be wonderful for sure. My love comes with working with middle and high school students, so I truly feel that the Lord has called me to be a teacher. :) 

7. Try to find cheap(er) textbooks.

Textbooks are expensive, yo. Like REALLY expensive. I normally take 18-19 hours, so that usually results in about a $1,000 tab. Um hello, I am a poor college kid; I no have that much money. So what do I do? 

CHEGG to the rescue! I've been using chegg.com for the past few semesters and renting my books instead of buying them. Hello hundreds of dollars saved, nice to see you back in my wallet. :)

8. Get enough sleep.

Let me just tell you right now, homegirl right here has to have her sleep. I have always been a night owl, so going to bed early is usually never an option for me. By the time I get home from work, workout, eat dinner, take a shower, etc., it's already like 9:00 pm. Goody, time for bed! 

Oh wait, I still have to do school stuff, boo. 

So what usually ends up happening is me going to bed around 1 or 2 am. That can't be healthy, I know. Thankfully, I haven't had an 8 am class since my freshman year (can I get a big 'ole amen? AMEN!), so I get to sleep till around 8 am each morning. But that still means I'm only getting around six hours of sleep; I'd personally love to get a little more. I mean who doesn't love sleep, right? 

My advice (to myself mostly) is to manage that time and don't procrastinate at night. Come home, relax for a bit, then knock that school stuff out. I've never pulled an all-nighter and don't really intend to if I can avoid it. If I pulled an all-nighter, whatever work I was doing would be sub-par at best, so I'd much rather do it earlier and get my beloved sleep.

9. Learn to deal with stress in a positive way. 

I'm preaching to the choir on this one. This has probably been the toughest thing for me to overcome in college. 

College.. hello high stress alert. Let's say you're taking a normal load of 15 hours. That means you have five classes. With those five classes comes homework, studying for tests, doing projects, actually going to class, etc. It's easy to get overwhelmed with everything you have to take care of for school. 

Then you also have your job (to help pay for the expensive schooling, haha). Add in maintaining your social life and eating and sleeping every now and then, and your're going to need 30 hours in the day just to get everything done.

So how do you manage stress in a positive manner?

It all goes back to your time management. I have to set aside a daily schedule for myself. One thing I always have to allow time for in my schedule is relaxation. It's awesome to go go go and get lots of productive things done throughout the day, but I believe you have to give yourself some down time, too. 

Here's a few things I do to help manage my stress level during the semester: take a relaxing bath, read a book you WANT to read (not a textbook), get a pedicure (girls), play a game of football with friends (guys), go to lunch with a friend, watch a favorite tv show, workout (killing two birds with one stone with this one), have a game night with your family, go see a movie, go shopping.

Allow yourself some time to relax. This aids in helping you manage that stress level in a positive way (rather than freaking out about your grades or worrying over a test you've already taken... Ahem, Claire). 

If for some reason you make a bad grade or don't understand something, instead of stressing about it, spend a little extra time studying or go talk with your professor about ways to help you improve in the course. 

Psh stress?? Who needs it!

10. Keep the faith.

I've listed this one last because I believe it is absolutely, positively the most important advice I could ever give you about college.

I was blessed to be able to attend a private, Christian school my whole life (North Mobile Christian and Faith Academy). At these places, I was allowed and even encouraged to freely and openly express and discuss my love for and faith in Jesus Christ.

Well, college (especially public/secular universities) is a whole different playing field. From my own experience, there have been several times where others have tried to shake my faith, whether intentionally or unintentionally. You most likely will come across classmates, professors, administrators, etc. who will openly rebuke you for your faith in God. 

I'm not going to lie and say it's always easy to stand up for what you believe in and stand up to others, especially those in power over you. But you know what? We were never once promised that it would be easy. Every single one of Jesus' disciples was persecuted in one form or another for their faith in Him and for spreading His Gospel across the world. I for one want to be so confident and proud of my faith that I do whatever it takes to stand up for what I believe in.

Even though there may be people out there who want you to fall and don't want you to share your faith, be strong in the Lord and always seek His guidance. Jesus Himself was persecuted and placed on a cross for the sins of a world who turned against him. If anyone has our back throughout times of persecution, it is Him without a shadow of a doubt. :)

Don't let anyone change who you are as a person. You are a child of God and a precious, beloved one at that. Use your college experience to share the love of Christ with others. There are thousands of students at your university, so will you be one who stands up for the Lord and makes a difference for His Kingdom? My prayer is that this is each of our hearts' desire.

"A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil." Ephesians 6:10-11

"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven." Matthew 5:10

"Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also." John 15:20

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I hope some of these tips have been helpful. College is a wonderful time in your life, and I pray that you are blessed and that you be a blessing during your time there! :)

Love & Blessings, 

Claire

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