Freshmen Advice: What to expect in college
There is an abundance of those “What I Wish I Knew Before I was a Freshman” books out today. Many of those books are now in my personal library, given as well-intentioned graduation gifts by people who want to be sure that I survive my freshman year of college unscathed. I appreciated them, and I read through most of them. Once.
All these books have one tactical flaw. Most of the authors are so far removed from the freshman experience that the books are little more than the sweet reminiscing of seniors about to leave and so-called “experts” who wish they were back in college. “If I were a freshman again, I would study all the time, be nice to everyone in my hall, and study all the time. I wish I could be a freshman again.”
Liar, liar, pants on fire. No one ever wishes they could be a freshman again. This is why these books always fall short of their intended usefulness. We need a guide written by someone who understands the freshman experience, who realizes the peril of having a freshman standing and can speak with wisdom, concern, and a genuine need for the cash flow that comes with such wisdom. In short, me.
Why me? In addition to my vast experience studying the social structures of ancient tribal college rituals and my role as adviser to the president and senior author of the SAT, I just finished my first year of college remarkably unscathed (OK, so I made that first part up).
So here is my guide, a little list of things which everyone should know when they come to college. (Upperclassmen, pay attention. You are never too old to learn).
- In logical time, an 8 a.m. college class should feel like an 8 a.m. high school class. Well, college doesn’t operate on logical time. College operates on I-only-got-two-hours-of-sleep-last-night-because-the-guy-next-door-plays-that-one-Nirvana-song-over-and-over time. In this new time frame, an 8 a.m. college class seems to occur somewhere around 4:15a.m. logical time.
- If your roommate cuts his hair in the sink, no one is going to clean it up. Ever. Trust me on this one, I know.
- Along those same lines, the floor does not vacuum itself. At home I have this thing that sweeps in and eliminates all messes automatically. I called it Mom. They forgot to put one of those in my room.
- Senior sorority girls really don’t go for freshman guys. Sad but true.
- If there was something you were good at in high school, at least 53,000 people are majoring in it and are much better at it than you.
- Being nine hours from home does not seem that bad until you watch your parents leave to make the trip home without you.
- A $600 food budget lasts about a week.
- On weekends the campus empties out leaving anyone stuck there without a car, stuck there without a car.
- Community bathrooms. Enough said.
College really isn’t that bad. I had an awesome time my freshman year, and there are many things I’m looking forward to in my next 3-20 years of school. Including senior sorority girls (hey, a guy can dream).
I am one of those people who are far-removed from a freshman year so I will not try to impose my out-of-date wisdom on anyone. What I don’t get is the bad memories some seem to have of their freshman year. Maybe you could share some of the things that made it difficult for you for those who may be getting geared up to head off to school this Fall.
Kids are turning to the internet for advice on their freshman year at college {comment redact by editor, please refer to our Terms of Use}
Mmm…I wouldn’t say I was responsible. I was late for everything, I’ve never met a deadline in my life, and there was one course, a full-year course, where the last class I went to was October 12. My notes were usually upside down, at random places in random notebooks, in various colours of Crayola marker. But I had a pretty good sense by then of how I worked, and my own abilities and comfort zones, so instead of doing what everyone told me to do and getting mad at myself when it didn’t work, I did what I knew worked for me.
I agree, John-Mark – ‘what to expect in college’ books are usually a bunch of B.S. They might be good for parents (because they’re usually written by parents), but they rarely apply to the freshman experience.
Cat – you seemed to have a good freshman year because you are a responsible person. Most people don’t have as nice of a freshman year as you do.
I actually really enjoyed my freshman year, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Couple of things to add:
1. Get to know the professors. They are generally pretty cool people, and if you ever need a letter of recommendation for something, it helps if they have some idea of who you are.
2. If you can’t keep up with the readings, get to know one paragraph really, REALLY well, and come to class prepared to discuss that paragraph, at least.
3. I’m sure I don’t have to repeat the rules for an optimal study environment that is secluded, well-organized, and silent. And you know why I don’t have to repeat ‘em? Because they’re RUBBISH. Study whatever way works best for you. I tend towards chaos and blaring techno in public spaces, and I do very well.
4. A good night’s sleep will serve you better than a night of cramming.
5. So will a good brisk walk. A walk is a better pick-me-up than a coffee, too.