College Sophomores to College Freshmen--Advice for settling in

Recently I contacted my former advisees who are now rising sophomores in college.   Several offered advice for incoming freshmen.  Here are three different replies from students attending a large public university, a small liberal arts college, and a mid-sized private university.  Though each student’s experience and perspective is unique, all college students share similar experiences transitioning from home, meeting friends and adjusting to roommates and learning how to study and perform academically in a new environment.

Below is a summary of their advice as well as a link to previous blog posts offering advice to incoming freshmen. 

Good luck settling in and enjoy your first term!

Advice from Katrina at Cal Poly SLO:

--College friends may come slowly, but once you find them they are invaluable and worth your time. Spend time with people every weekend.

--You should always feel like yourself in your dorm room. Do not let a roommate ruin your college experience, even if he or she is much different from you.

--Make time for your favorite activities on campus.

--Try new clubs and activities that spark your interest.

--Eat in the cafeteria -- sometimes this is the easiest way to get to know people. Don't be afraid to introduce yourself to someone new.

--Explore the new area that you move into. Go off campus as much as you can, and befriend people who like to do the same.

--Make time for yourself in your dorm room and the end of the day. Calm down, drink tea, eat chocolate.

--Always have your favorite snacks and desserts in your dorm stockpiled for studying.

--Make use of resources on campus, whether it’s going to the gym or office hours.

--Get out of the dorm even on days you do not have class. It will allow you to get to know campus and socialize.

--Set personal boundaries and schedule your time: determine when you like to go to bed, to eat, do homework, to relax.

--Love your school! Be grateful for the choice you have made and appreciate the college experience.

Advice from Mackenzie at Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota:

--If offered, participate in your school’s pre-orientation trip/program. I participated in one of our pre-orientation programs, Macward Bound, which was a five day backpacking trip on the Superior Hiking Trail. I was apprehensive--meeting new people, leaving home early--however, it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. The trip introduced me to ten amazing people that I’m still friends with today (two of which are my roommates for the upcoming year) and helped me ease into the difficult transition into college life. 

--You don’t have to be best friends with your first year roommate. Sometimes you and your roommate are going to have completely incongruent interests and schedules, and that’s perfectly fine. My roommate and I were friendly but not super good friends, and I believe this allowed me to branch out socially and have a friend group that was a coalescence of classmates, teammates, and people I’d met while in line at the dining hall.

--Take advantage of your school’s resources, whether it be academic resources, social resources, or health resources. One thing I was really glad I did was make strong connections with my professors. The department offices are great places to be around professors in a less menacing setting than the classroom (plus, our department offices were always stocked with snacks and the occasional pizza day). 

 

Advice from Zach, attending Stanford University:

--Take a light first term—this allows more time to adjust to a college schedule as well as make new friends.

--Seek out your passions. This is another way to make connections and form friendships with people who share similar interests.

--Allow time for deep or extended conversations: at the dining hall, in your dorm lounge, wherever.  Appreciate this opportunity to learn about yourself and others.

--Appreciate and search for new perspectives.  Get outside your political or social bubble to expose yourself to new ideas and approaches.

Previous posts about settling in to college:
8/17: Advice for College Freshmen

8/15: Transition to College