Tips for a college freshman living on campus

So here you are in unfamiliar surroundings, about to begin your college years. Well, I know you can succeed in college because your previous schoolwork has well-prepared you for this.

Although I’m a “boomer”, born at the tail-end of the baby boom generation, and although my college days are in the distant past, I’d still like to share some things that helped me through those years in between living at home and living on my own.

Our experiences are very different. I stayed at home when I went to college, so I wasn’t away from my mom. (REMEMBER TO CALL YOUR MOM.) It’s not really for you as much as it is for her. This is probably the longest she has been without you around. Moms are funny about things like that.)

My dad had remarried, and he passed away from cancer the last quarter I was in college. I almost had to leave college that last quarter, because all my grant money had run out. My college counselor called me into his office to tell me that, because my father had died, I was eligible for Social Security benefits. So in this weird way that things in life often work out, something bad turned into something good.

I know it’s a different world today than when I was a teenager. We find it easy to watch our steps when we are among supportive friends. It’s quite a different story when we are with people we have just met who dare us to do what we know is wrong and mock us when we don’t want to do it.

I remember the students and teachers who had a Christian testimony. One professor gave me a beautiful white leather Bible at my graduation in 1975. My dog ate it. (Really. The dog must have liked the smell of the leather. He tore it up! I really hated it happening because I liked the teacher.)

My advice is to take it one step at a time. Decide what is most important to you. You can have friendships and fun and still demonstrate your morality. (C.Y.M.*)

Now, about your classes. When I was in college, I took Medical Laboratory Technology at Shawnee State University. (That was not its name back in 1973.) I went to school the summer after high school, took four quarters of college-level classes, attended all the next summer, and took four more quarters of classes for my sophomore year. Then, the last summer, I had my internship at Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH, and also worked in the lab part-time. Mom (hey, remember to call your mom!) asked me if I wanted to continue my college education at Cincinnati and get my bachelor’s in MLT. I told her no; I was so tired of school. I wanted to begin my career and earn some money. She told me I would probably never get another opportunity to go to college, especially after I started working; and she was right.

Sometimes I regret not going on. No lab jobs were available in my hometown of Portsmouth, Ohio, so I worked in bookkeeping and then became a secretary at Shawnee State University.

Life may hand you a change of plans in your chosen career, so just go with the punches.

Anyway, these years are for you to make friends, make memories, and even make mistakes. Right now, you can influence both your present and your future, and it looks very promising.

So get enough sleep. It’s important. Get a routine started. You’ll feel better when you get enough sleep. And it will probably be tough at first, especially with roommates. (C.Y.M.*)

Get to know your roommates. Communicate with them, set boundaries, and respect each other’s space and possessions. The university has some algorithm that places you with these fellow students. I hope you like them, or at the very least, that you can get along with them. One of my college professors told me not to share an apartment with my best girlfriend in college because “living together is the best way to learn how to dislike another person.” Trust me, dorm living will be a wonderful learning experience for you.

Participate in at least some of the activities the school offers. Prioritize your studies, but make time for social activities and downtime. Join clubs. Get to know other people and make friends. This sounds like a great opportunity to develop greater social graces. Keep enjoying your hobbies, too. There are probably other students who are interested in the same things. You just have to find them. Hey, try new things. It will make you a more interesting person and even give you more information about yourself.

Keep in shape by doing some kind of exercise, whatever you enjoy doing, even if it’s just a power walk. Or get involved in extracurricular sports. (C.Y.M.*)

Attend your classes. I remember when I was in college; I was on a bowling team on Thursday nights. Friday morning at 8 a.m., I had an advanced math class. Well, I nearly fell asleep several times in class. My eyes were crossing. Do you think I got much out of it? No. So, if you can, don’t schedule late-night activities before an important morning class. Keep track of your class schedule, assignments, and deadlines. You will need to set yourself up with a good schedule-keeping app. In MY day, we had to write everything down. On an old-fashioned planner calendar. With a goose feather quill for a pen. (not really!)

Talk to the other people in your classes. Get a friend that you can share notes with. Get some other students that you can do a group study with and talk about your class with.

Find yourself a good study space and a time when you can be productive. If you can, create a study schedule. It may change each semester, but don’t try to pull an all-nighter. They keep you awake and don’t help you learn anything.

CALL YOUR MOM. Your mom told me to tell you that! It’s nice to hear her voice after you’ve been away for a while.

Manage your finances by creating a budget and being mindful of your spending. This is a great experience for “real life.”

Get to know your instructors. Ask questions. Learn everything you can. Don’t hesitate to reach out to professors, advisors, or counselors if you need assistance or guidance. Enhance your college experience by using academic support centers, counseling services, and the library. Learn as much as you can, because your proper use of the English language will deteriorate once you get out into the “real world”. Just sayin’.

Just for fun, here’s a list of search sites that are more informative than Google:

www.refseek.com is an Academic Resource search site. More than a billion sources, such as encyclopedias, monographs, and magazines.

https://link.springer.com — access to more than 10 million scientific documents, books, articles, and research protocols.

www.biollne.org.br is a library of scientific bioscience journals published in developing countries.

www.science.gov is an American search engine for 2200+ scientific sites. Indexes more than 200 million articles.

www.pdfdrive.com is the largest website for free downloads of books in PDF format. Claims over 225 million names.

www.base-search.net is one of the most powerful research sites for academic studies texts. There are more than 100 million scientific documents, and 70% of them are free.

You can do this! You already know more than you think you do. You have been prepared specifically for this time and this place, so I know you will come out of college a changed person.

Many people you know are proud of you and excited about your new adventure. You are going to learn so many new things about yourself. Take care. (C.Y.M.*)

Thanks for reading.

Amy Potter

(C.Y.M.* means call your mom)