Freshman year: the year of college can make you or break you on a campus – socially and scholastically. For most, it’s the first time being away from home for an extended amount of time and the opportunities for fun are endless. Although fun is important to an awesome college experience, it is important as a freshman to be ever so vigilant of not only your grades, but also the image you portray to others. Yes, you can always chalk it up to being “a dumb freshman,” but first impressions are always lasting impressions.
Here are five tips for new students on how to maintain those grades as well as that reputation during your freshman year:
- Avoid 8a.m. classes. By now you’ve probably already registered for all your classes for the semester. You might have thought, “If I take this 8 a.m. class, I can get all my classes over with early in the day.” And although that may have sounded good in your head the last day of Red Raider orientation, waking up at 7:30 a.m. gets very old, very quick. So unless you are just a morning person, avoid 8 a.m. classes at all costs!
- If you had a high school sweetheart but he’s not at Texas Tech with you, it might be a good idea to just go ahead and break it off now. College is a new and amazing experience. You’re going to be meeting many new people, and although your relationship might have worked back at home, it’s a whole different ball game when you’re at a university. Of course, if you really like him, then stay with him and try to work it out. But just be prepared for a lot of additional stress, because it can become very difficult.
- Be very careful about who you hook up with. Although Tech is a big school, word can travel pretty quickly around campus, so be careful about whom you hook up. Also, be aware of who’s around when you make that decision. Although you may already know this, use protection. You’ve heard of the Raider Rash…yeah, doesn’t sound very pleasant.
- Halloween is like the only time you can dress in a manner that may be consider inappropriate or suggestive and get away with it. Enjoy it, and for your own sake, don’t dress like its Halloween every weekend.
- Go to class! It might seem like you don’t need to go to lecture because the teacher is extremely boring and the classroom is unbearably cold and you could be doing better things (like sleeping), but honestly, it will pay off at the end of the semester to just go to class. Professors like to say things in class that can’t be found anywhere, and then put that information on the exam. You don’t want to be that kid with the bewildered look on your face when exam time comes around.
Those are just a few tips to help nourish your academic and social reputation during your exciting freshman year! Of course, a million tips couldn’t replace good ol’ experience. So get out there and have fun, just be careful and think before you act!