The start of college can be stressful. It is generally a lot of change and independence all at once. Yet, at the same time, there’s so many things that seems to stay the same. It’s a very strange dichotomy, but here’s a few tips to help get you through it!
1. Fill your extra time.
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It may seem like classes and homework alone will take up all of your time, but it won’t. You’re going to have a lot of free time on your hands, and it’s important that you find ways to fill it. Join a club. Get a job. Pick up a hobby. Try a new sport (there’s everything from fencing to rock climbing).
I mean sure, you could just do nothing, but this is a time when you have so many opportunities to do things for free (or at least cheaper). Not to mention that clubs and organizations can provide the perfect opportunity to make friends – especially if you tend to be shy. ;)
2. Get to know your roommate and RA.
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Now, I’ll be the first to tell you that you may not be the most comfortable with your roommate or even like the person, but it is so much easier to live together if you actually talk. You can be best of friends or barely tolerate each other, but TALK TO EACH OTHER. If your roommate won’t talk to you, then you talk to them. This can be difficult if you’re shy or if you guys have clashing personalities or for any number of reasons.
But! If you have any problems then you can talk to your roommate about them, and, if things don’t improve, you have conquered the first step that anyone if going to tell you if you go to others for help. With this, befriend your RA too. Trust me, they are trying pretty hard to be nice and befriend all of you, so even taking a little time to respond to that is nice and respectful. And remember, this is a person who is in the specific role of helping your with your first year. You have roommate problems? You can feel comfortable going to them. You don’t know where to find help for something? You can feel comfortable going to them. The list goes on and on.
3. Familiarize yourself with campus and the surrounding areas.
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Not only will exploring help you find new and unique places to relax, hang out, or study, but you’ll also be a lot less likely to get lost. Instead, you can be the person who knows where the coolest stores are in town, or where to go when the line at Mr.G’s is too long. Another plus is that sometimes it’s just a good idea to get out of campus for a little while, and exploring the town or the battlefield is a great way to do that. You can even use it as a relaxing exercise when midterms and finals roll around.
4. Read the Digest.
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I know, they come very often. I know, they are usually boring. I know, that it’s easier to automatically send them to the trash. But, trust me on this. You don’t have to read the entire thing, but read the table of contents at least because you never know what you’ll find. There’s a lot of organizations and groups that use the digest as a way to advertise and communicate. It’s a great way to be the first to know about the boba tea sale or the free movie night.
Not to mention that some departments need participants for experiments or surveys, and they usually advertise in the digest. When these roll around, all you usually have to do is sign up for a time slot and go answer a few questions for anywhere between five minutes and half an hour. Then you get paid. MONEY.
5. Get a job on campus.
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If you have the time, then getting a job on campus can be extremely beneficial. Even if you don’t necessarily need the money, it never hurts to start saving up. And having a job specifically on campus will help you make closer connections with different faculty members. Not only can these connections be beneficial in the future, but you then have another source to ask questions and seek guidance from. Not to mention that any job will give you experience and make a resume look a bit more impressive.
6. Try something new.
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One of the nice things about college is that you are surrounded by so many different things. It’s the perfect opportunity to try your hand at a lot of different things. After all, you never really know what it is you like until you try something else. I had one friend who realized that Gettysburg wasn’t the place for him, but he wouldn’t have ever known if he hadn’t come here.
And this doesn’t mean that you have to give up the things you currently love. It’s just a great time and place to try and expand your horizons.
7. Discover your limits.
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Another great thing about college is the strange dichotomy that it entails. You’re either an adult or quickly becoming one. You’re entering the professional world, but not quite there yet. You’re gaining more responsibility but also still learning. This means that you have more freedom to choose. You can choose what you eat and what you do and how to spend your resources.
But you’re also not quite on your own yet. This makes it the perfect time to explore your limits and set your boundaries. It is extremely difficult to know what your limits are before you have encountered them. So, test them out while things are, while not consequence less, more forgivable and easily mended then they might be in the future.
But be careful when you do this. You need to learn how you react to certain things so that you can learn how to take care of yourself better in the future.
8. Don’t be afraid to get help.
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This is an especially important point. If you need it, the counseling center is free. This is just about the only time in your life when such a resource might be available to you for free. In addition, the medical center is always open. If you need help, please don’t wait. There are some injuries that can be avoided and healed if caught soon enough.
Besides physical needs, there’s also a lot of professors and other people at the school who are generally able to answer questions if you’re worried about something. They are there to teach you and to help you. If you need homework help you can go to a professor’s office hours, talk with the PLA, or even just ask someone else in the class. So, don’t be afraid to ask for help. It’s not weak or strange or even unusual. Personally, I know that for one class I had to go get help every week just to be able to do the homework.
Reaching out for the first time can be anxiety provoking, but if the person by the odd chance cannot help you then they can point you the right direction of someone who can. Just remember that all these resources are there for you to use.
9. Be gentle on yourself.
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College is difficult. And Gettysburg is a good school. The entire point of this education is to gain mastery in a subject. And that is a difficult thing to accomplish. So, be kind on yourself. Not everything that you do will succeed, even if it might have been easier before. But this isn’t exactly a bad thing. Not everything in life is going to go smoothly or easily. So, when you do fail at something then look at it as a learning chance on how to deal with failure. Try to figure out why you didn’t succeed and try to make that change next time you try to do something. Most of all, don’t give up hope and remember to be kind to yourself.
10. Go to class.
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This one is debated sometimes, but is highly important. The entire reason for going to college is to learn. So, there’s no point if you don’t go to classes. Sometimes it may seem unimportant or useless, but keep going. Even things that may seem pointless, like discussion, can be beneficial. If nothing else, then you can use it as practice for boring meetings in the future and avoid the penalties that most professors have for missing too many classes. Not to mention that no professor is going to respect you if you don’t give them enough time and attention to show up to the classes you’re paying for.
This isn’t everything that you need to know, but it’s a start. Remember that you have people who can help you and just try your best. Good luck with this year!
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