8 Tips for Incoming Freshmen College Students

The most critical year is not the last, but the first year of college.  You will soon see your block mates slowly get "eliminated". Sadly, not everybody who enrolls make it to the last. Some students give up thinking that college is not for them and how hard it is to fit in.

So, here are tips and advices  for the new phase in your life. I'll break it down as much as I can to help you cope and survive the most critical year.

1. Be sure to choose the course you really want

What are your hobbies? What interests you? How do you see yourself in the future?

Ask yourself first. Do I really want this course, or just because it's in demand? There are stories where students enroll in a program without fully understanding what they're getting into. You're lucky if you end up loving it.

Nevertheless, choosing a program against your will provides longing and desire to pursue your real dream course and not the one that was forced to you. If this longing continues for years, at the end of the day, you will not be fully satisfied and still seek a way to reach your real dream.

Choosing a program in college isn't as easy as answering a yes-or-no question. A lot of factors are considered such as financial capability, school proximity, job opportunities, and the most problematic of all, the parents' choice for their children.

Choosing a course can be complicated for some. However, it boils down to one. Choose a course you think you can go on with. Imagine yourself doing this kind of work for the rest of your life. If you answered yes to it, then go for it.

2. New circle of friends

Yes, you leave your high school friends and have a new circle. It's inevitable. You may have believed that you have the best bunch, however, you need to part ways and achieve your dreams separately. Accept it and life goes on as the new chapter of college life begins.

It's a struggle to fit in especially on the first day. Have you thought about it? Like what to do or how to act? Would you choose to be an attention-getter or just the ordinary guy that goes with the flow? That's up to you.

Just a piece of advice as you go to college, be yourself and true friends will eventually gather around. If the first day was not a success, then it's alright. Universities and colleges are huge institutions to meet and cooperate with others. Don't forget to smile and be kind.

If you don't have friends even after weeks, don't bother, they'll come. You have at least four years to be friends with anyone. Don't stress yourself about it.

The next problem you might face with new circle of friends would be when you see their true colors. Learn to leave the group when you find the behavior unacceptable. But, if you find a good companion for the next college years, keep them. It's great to have people who support and be with you through the ups and downs of college life.

3. New culture

Often told by professors, "Act maturely. You are no longer high school students." You'll hear it as often as you enter every room with different professors. They expect something from you and you expect much from them. You are in a new environment and they are the first batch of people to teach you the how's of being a college student.

Rules and regulations in college are different from high school. Check out for the differences in the grading system, cafeteria rules, the schedule, vacant hours, learning procedures, and a lot more. Senior students also expect you to act maturely, some professors motivate you to enjoy, while some are terrors to the bone.

It's a pressure at first. Everyone has their eyes on you. However, days will pass and you will get a hang of it all. Let the happenings sink in for a year (yes, it takes a year sometimes) and when you enter second year, you'll know what exactly first year students feel. Endure the transition, but enjoy the rest.

3. The Need to Belong

Often, freshmen feel the need to be in a group. On the first day, students are  usually lost, in the corner, and searching here and there. It's better (with a lofty feeling) when you have a group to search with.

Regardless, moving in packs on the first year of college is an advantage. You have a source for updates and announcements. You meet your professors altogether, etc. It's wise to have a companion for your first days because you can't know everything just by yourself. You need connections.

However, time passes and big groups turn to smaller ones. No problems with that. In college, it's not a contest of how large the group is, it's a matter of having the real friends at your side. As you go through the remaining years, the fake ones will be lashed out and the real ones stay even after you graduate.

4. Showing off

Show off, but do it right. The best way to show off is to be patient and wait for your moment. Would you want someone bragging to much about himself? Of course, not. And that's what you must not do.

Are you good with math? Then, impress them with your math scores during exams. You don't have to talk aloud about it, they'll surely notice. Are you good with arts? Wait for the moment it is needed, it will show. You don't need to brag and become pushy with your talents.

It's better that your works and achievements make the noise instead of bragging it. (I remember someone who did exactly that. The most over-confident hated guy in class. It didn't turn out well for him).

5. All sorts of professors

You meet all sorts of professors in college. Check out how I sorted the professors I met so far.

The cool prof

They don't care about your scores and such (or do they actually care?). Great talkers and mostly admired by students because of the unconventional teaching techniques. They love to hang with the students.

The strict ones

They work with the rules. The performance you show is proportional to your grade, no more and no less. These are the profs who mastered their craft and talk long hours without looking at any material. You will definitely learn from them.

The lazy prof

They are absentees and love to give seat works. For them to actually teach is rare.

The concerned prof

These are my favorites. They do anything in their capability to advise and help you with instructional materials and other activities that's outside the scope of their subject. They offer their vacant time, if ever you have questions and clarifications about the lesson.

In college, you will meet all kinds of professors. Some can't be sorted out just by the categories listed above. Professors can be your enemy, friend, or mentor. Nevertheless, they all have to be respected.

6. Missing the high school vibe

Months pass and you feel a little less happy because of stress and exhaustion from multiple school requirements and deadlines. The transition of entering a university also wears you. You wish that you were high school and be a freer teenager again.

This dreaded phase comes, but don't worry. It passes. Time will come and you will move on from the beautiful memories of high school and accept college life. Whenever you miss high school, you can't do anything but let it pass. You can look back for memories, but to grow, you need to look forward and achieve new things.

7. Vacant time

Vacant hours happen often in college due to schedules, absences of professors, and school activities. It's more fun because you can go wherever you want during the vacant hours, unlike in high school where you are confined in the room for your safety.

You can go to malls, eat out, go home, or do assignments for another subject during your vacant time in college. There are less restrictions for you. However, be responsible for your actions. The school isn't responsible anymore when get yourself in trouble.

8. Failing grades (if you ever fail)

Primary to high school education in the Philippines practice mass promotion of students. In simpler words, they have not experienced failure of a subject because they would eventually move up to the next grade.

This doesn't happen in college. You have three options for your enrolled subjects: you fail, you pass, or you drop. First year students are prone to failing subjects because they haven't realized how hard college can be. You're lucky if you get a failing grade, but the professor pities you and allows you to pass. It doesn't always happen, though.

I know people who screwed their subjects on the first semester and carried the burden for three years. Now, that you're reading this, look out for your subjects. Never fail a subject that is prerequisite to another. It's great chance that it extends your college years! On another note, don't fail any subject at all. College won't be easy (unless you PAY for your grade).

If you ever fail a subject, don't get disheartened. If you drop out of it easily, you lose. I know people who dropped out of college because of failing subjects on the first semester. But, five years later, they came back and tried to finish what they started because they know that there are more opportunities when you have a college degree. Don't run because of a failed subject, continue and run to catch your dreams!

College can be hard, fun, stressful, but unforgettable. Make the most of it. God bless us all!