Do Yourself A Favor And Start Off Strong Your Freshman Year

When you start off your college career, the hardest thing will probably be adjusting to college life. On the bright side, if you don’t have a lot of morning classes, you’ll no longer have to get up at 6 a.m. for school! Other factors, though, such as having plenty of reading and classes and meals at all hours of the day and evening, will take some getting used to. But speaking of those classes, while there may be more reading involved than you’re used to, the start of your college career is your chance to start off running. No, not as in running late to class (although you’ll probably find yourself in that scenario at times). It’s your chance to start off strong academically.

The classes you take during your first year will be largely introductory courses that are designed to get you acquainted with a field of study without weighing you down too much. Introductory courses will still require their share or work, but fortunately they take a broader overview of a subject rather than diving deep into one particular aspect. In short, this means that the tests won’t drill you on the details as they will in later, upper-level courses.

As much as your first year at school should be spent exploring different courses and subjects to really discover your academic interests, be sure you keep up on that reading and studying. With introductory-level courses, you’ll be taking a schedule full of not necessarily easy courses, but courses that are not as brain-wracking as some of those senior seminars and other upper-level classes. With a solid effort, most introductory courses are more than passable; you should be able to do well and start stocking up on those As!

Doing well academically your first year of college will definitely make you enjoy college more. You’ll feel confident and successful. Starting college is a challenge for anyone, yet you met that challenge well. Don’t get too carried away, although you can be sure mom and dad will be gleaming too! Good grades during your first year obviously starts your GPA off right, and it also provides reassurance—hey, maybe these next few years won’t be so difficult after all. College also really makes you take accountability for your grades. Bad grades in high school can sometimes be attributed to those long, grueling after-school sports practice sessions or that grudge you knew your teacher held against you. In college however, a poor grade is often a reflection of poor effort or simply not bothering to attend class, study, and read all those required pages.

Not doing well academically your first year isn’t reason to give up hope, although it can make the rest of college that much more stressful. You’re of course better off starting with a cushion for your grades than having to try and play catch up the rest of your college career. And as courses get harder, this can be a trying task. While hopefully you’re involved in some extracurricular activities and clubs your first year, you might be in leadership positions in those clubs later on. Time is precious in college, and having those responsibilities on top of classes leaves only less time to study. So don’t waste the time you have during freshman year!

Experiencing the social and fun aspects of college living are just as important as giving academics your all. That first year of school is your chance to make an impression, not just with professors, but with yourself. Will you be taking classes seriously, or is it four years of partying? As busy as you’ll be, there’s room to have fun while keeping the grades up, and there’s only one chance to start strong. So don’t leave those textbooks collecting dust your first year. Study up, do well, and feel good about the rest of your college career.