Five Familiar Freshman Foes and How You Can Defeat Them

Freshman year can be one of the most exciting years of your life. However, a new home, new friends, new classes, and pretty much new everything can make the transition difficult. Here are five common problems that freshmen experience and helpful tips for coping with them.

1. Big classes

Many larger universities, including Southern Miss, have at least a few enormous stadium-seating classes. The majority of these classes house general education requirements and therefore must accommodate a larger number of students.

These classes have many problems that can face a fearful freshman. Because of their size, it is easy to slack off. “Will it really matter if I skip today? The professor will never know…”

YES. It matters! These classes will affect your GPA just as much as a smaller class. Though it’s easy to talk yourself into skipping, don’t. You will always benefit from going to class, even a big general education class.  

In addition to this, these large classes can encourage and facilitate distraction in class. This includes self-distraction. Stay off of Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram! Stay off your phone and don’t talk to the person next to you. I know this will make the class much more boring, but spending these few minutes tuned in to the professor will help you succeed in the end.

2. Reading

One major component of college coursework is reading. In many classes, especially traditional classes, professors will lecture in class and then assign reading for homework.

 Much of the time, this reading is not necessarily mandatory. In other words, there are rarely reading quizzes. This, however, does not mean that you shouldn’t complete the assigned reading.

It is important to do the reading to clarify anything the professor said in class. In addition, if the professor assigns reading, it is fair game for the test.

There are many ways to accomplish this without killing yourself the night before the test. As much as you can, try to plan ahead. Divide the reading into four or five sections and read them the week before it’s due. Doing this can alleviate the pressure of all-night reading and help your remember the material!

3. Thursdays

One of the most drastic changes that occurs between high school and college is the acquisition of freedom. When at home, your parents always knew what you were doing and, at least to some extent, controlled your actions.

In college, this control is gone… totally gone.

As a result, you have total freedom to do whatever you want pretty much whenever you want. This includes going out on the town (or on frat row) on Thursdays, a traditional college night out.

While a Thursday night out is almost always a fun time, it is important to remember that you are in school for school, not for partying. There are a couple of steps you can take to ensure that these Thursdays don’t interfere with your schoolwork and grades.

Don’t procrastinate. If you want to go out on a Thursday, do all of your homework the day before or when you go out, especially if you have a Friday class. And that’s another problem altogether: if you’re extra interested in “Thirsty Thursdays,” it may not be a good idea to schedule many classes on Fridays, especially early in the morning.

By taking the proper precautions, you can ensure that your Thursday nights out won’t take over your life and adversely affect your schoolwork.

4. Freshman Fifteen

It’s every freshman’s greatest fear: the infamous Freshman 15. We all have heard about it. I don’t know about you, but I was terrified. All I could picture was returning to my hometown fifteen noticeable pounds heavier.

Though the Freshman 15 is definitely a real thing, it is not inevitable. There are many ways that you can avoid the freshman fifteen and maintain your health, even despite the stress associated with assimilating into a new environment.

Go check out the gym! Many schools offer free memberships to a high-end athletic and workout facility to all students. These facilities often have classes such as Zumba to get you moving with the help of an instructor.

If you’re not a treadmill, elliptical, or exercise class kind of girl, don’t fret: many of these facilities house fun workout opportunities, including racquetball, basketball, ping pong, and swimming. Grab some friends and hit the gym!

In addition to the stress of freshman year, school cafeterias can often accelerate or contribute to the Freshman 15. Reconsider that second trip to the dessert line and keep in mind that many cafeterias offer healthy options.

These steps will help you avoid the Freshman 15 and stay on track to become your best and most healthy self!

5. Homesickness

Homesickness is a natural phenomenon, experienced by most, if not all, incoming freshmen. The cries of “I can’t WAIT to get out of here” and “college will be so much better” are lost to feelings of loneliness when the first few weeks of college begin to sink in.

While this is a perfectly normal feeling, it is important to not allow homesickness to dominate your life. Just like all of the advisors and staff encourage, get involved!

Make friends on your hall, join a student organization, or reach out to the students in your classes. Many schools host events especially for freshman to meet other people. In addition to this, some schools like USM offer free admission to sporting events to all students.

Participating in new activities and meeting new people will help you to alleviate the pains of homesickness and become more adjusted to college life. Don’t worry: before you know it, all traces of homesickness will be out the window, and you’ll be enjoying your new life as a collegiette! 

photo source: www.parentsandcolleges.com

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• college life
• freshman