Five tips for your first year of college

 By Hadassa Ribeiro

Public Relations Intern, College Access Programs

Photo from Unsplash by Matt Ragland 

Are you about to start your first year of college? Have you wondered what other students wished they knew before starting this journey? College Access Programs reached out to a few Calvin students to compile a list of five pieces of advice for first-year college students: 

 1. Prioritize sleep 

While getting eight hours of sleep every night might not be feasible every time, prioritizing sleep is foundational for your success in all other areas. If you don't give yourself enough time to rest and recharge, you might soon feel overwhelmed with stress and find it hard to manage even smaller tasks. While losing a few hours of sleep every now and then is inevitable, make sure to try to stick to a good sleep routine early on! The earlier you make it a habit, the better your college experience will be. 

2. Talk to your advisor

You will be assigned an advisor for your major early on in college. Advisors are there to guide you as you choose which classes to take and how to map out your years at college. They are also key people to talk through different opportunities related to your major on campus, future career possibilities, and get connected with people in your field. Remember that you can meet with your advisor anytime of the year, not only around registration! 

3. Ask for help

Ask for help early on; and ask often! There is no such thing as a silly question, especially when you're still getting your feet wet in your first couple of weeks or months in college. Nobody expects you to have it all figured out right in the beginning, so make sure to ask plenty of questions to your professors, your Resident Assistant, your suite mate, or anyone else who can support you. Along those lines, communicating with professors early on about an assignment you are unsure of, or about getting the hang of your schedule, is key for your success. Communicating early is always preferred as opposed to waiting around midterms or finals time. Take advantage of professors’ office hours, which is designated out-of-class time when professors are available to answer questions, discuss class assignments, or even to chat and get to know them outside of the classroom environment. Take some time to familiarize yourself with the resources that are readily available for you on campus - these include (but are not limited to): career center, tutoring center, professors, resident assistants, counseling center, and many more! To check out the full list of resources available on Calvin's campus, access our website.

Photo from Unsplah by Javier Trueba 

4. Eat well

It will be tempting to survive off of snacks and pop your first few weeks of college. The days are long and the breaks are short; but don't let that stop you from nourishing your body well. Alongside getting good sleep, eating well and spending time moving your body - whether that is going for a run, walking around campus, or playing "Just Dance" with your roommate - are both key for maintaining a good balance in your life. 

5. Don't be afraid to put yourself out there 

I know the newness of college can be overwhelming, especially for introverts. But you can start small! There are opportunities to connect with people right where you live in the residence halls: attend your floor dinner, a dorm event, or join your Social Events Team to plan events for your floor. You can also join a club of your interest and get to spend time on your hobbies while meeting new people who have interests in common. Check out the events that are going on on your campus - such as sports games, plays and concerts - and invite people to join you for a study break. College is what you make of it, and it is a great opportunity to learn more about yourself, find new passions and meet people from different places of the country and the world!

This article is complementary to content shared on our Tik Tok account. You may access the video this post was based on here.