Congratulations freshmen! You’ve made it past the first week of your first year in college! Not as bad as you had anticipated now, was it? You’re starting to get a feel for campus as you start to memorize your class schedule and get familiar with the area. You’ve had a chance to get acquainted with your professors and classmates. Your books are either bought or are expected to arrive from Amazon or Chegg any day now. Perhaps you’ve already met a few new close friends? Whatever the case, you’ve made it this far and your college experience will only get more exciting as time goes on!
As a freshman at a big university, there are going to be may temptations that will arise as you go through your first semester—trust me, we’ve all been there. Of course, different people end up in different situations depending on the type of person they are, but if you are the typical “run-of-the-mill” kind of student, I’m sure this list of Do’s and Don’t’s, compiled from a survey answered by current students, will be very beneficial to your survival here at the University of Iowa. I can promise you that if you take this list into consideration you will find yourself having a fun and safe time during your first year here. Here we go!
1. Do get into the habit of actually going to class.
I know that for many of you this is your first time away from home and away from the pressures of parents telling you where you need to be at a particular time, but I can assure you that once you start skipping class it is VERY hard to get yourself to start going again. Not to mention that this is your first year of college and will most likely be your easiest—take advantage of it!
“My freshman year was a complete mess. It was the first time I had ever been in any type of lecture classes and I barely went to any my entire first semester. Turns out, it really showed when I’d bomb tests that were heavily influenced by the material we went over in class that I never got. Go. To. Class.” –Jessica Hammer, Junior
2. Don’t push your luck downtown right away.
Okay little ones, if there is one thing that I can’t stress enough it would be this! I get that the nightlife of downtown Iowa City can be very enticing and that it can be all too easy to get caught up in the hype of being downtown, but you have to respect the fact that you are still (more than likely) under the age of 21. Iowa City cops know this… duh! The first couple weekends into the school year police officers are scouting out those freshman who may not know how to behave downtown and I will say that they are very quick to hand out tickets without mercy. Most of the bars are heavy enforcers of the 10:00pm rule, where students under 21 have to leave once 10:00 rolls around, so go out early if you need to get in your fix. Another thing to stress is the usage of fake IDs downtown. Be aware that many of the bars have been cracking down on people trying to use fakes to get into their establishment. Not only is there a good chance that you will be embarrassingly denied entry, but there’s also a good chance that they will take your fake altogether and leave you S.O.L.
“I transferred here last year and I was super excited to experience the nightlife of downtown IC. At the time, I wasn’t 21 and thought it’d be a good idea to use my fake downtown. I did get into some places, but ended up getting a PAULA (Possession of Alcohol under the Legal Age) while having a beer on the patio of the bars downtown. I wasn’t even that drunk, but still had to pay the consequences.” –Anonymous, Senior
3. Do get involved on campus.
Here at the University of Iowa, as well as at any university, there are a number of ways that any student can get involved on campus. Whether it’s by joining one of nearly 500 student organizations here at UIowa, engaging in Greek life, playing intramural sports, catching a discounted movie at the IMU, or heading out to Kinnick to tailgate and support the Hawkeyes you’re bound to find something to keep you busy every night of the week!
“[Getting involved on campus] helps you meet new people and create connections and friendships that you can use way after graduation. These campus groups are great resume builders that can help you gain some of the experience employers are expecting you to have when hiring you!” –Nina Vogel, Junior
4. Don’t stress about declaring a major.
Now, some of you might feel like you have your life all planned out for the time being and that’s great, but I bet there are some of you out there that have absolutely no idea of what you want to do once you graduate. Understand that it’s OK! That’s what freshman year is all about—spending time exploring what interests you! Two in five students will change their major at least once throughout their college career. So sit back, relax and don’t worry about having it all figured out right away.
“I changed my major three times before I settled on sport studies, twice just during my freshman year. It was really hard for me to decide on what I wanted to do, but give it time. You’ll figure it out eventually.” –Nate Anderson, Sophomore
5. Do remember to stay organized.
Being or not being organized can make or break your college career. With college comes great responsibility for your own work, projects, time-management, etc… Just do yourself a favor and keep yourself in order; it will make your life a lot easier. Period.
“[Staying organized your freshman year] is important because it sets a foundation for how you might stay organized for the rest of your college career. From the very beginning the university gives you a school planner to help you stay organized, which helps a lot!” Adrian Thompson, Senior
6. Don’t get lazy with exercise.
Believe it or not, the myth of the “Freshmen 15” really does exist! If you’re not careful, the college lifestyle (e.g. eating crappy fast food late at night, drinking empty calories, lack of physical activity aside from student athletes, etc…) can easily sneak up on you. The unwanted pounds can be more easily gained than lost, so make sure to set aside some time to make it over to the campus recreation & wellness center or fitness east to burn off some extra calories—especially since it’s free for students!
“I think everyone’s heard of freshman 15. I’ll admit I gained some weight when I first came to Iowa, but I started to go to the gym a couple nights a week at the start of last year. I’m definitely glad I did. *Flexes biceps*.” –Matt Sullivan, Junior
7. Do make time to study.
I’m sure your professors have already drilled it into your heads, STUDY, STUDY, STUDY! It’s no joke people, college course work can be a lot different than the high school work you’re use to doing. Exams, midterms and finals are nothing to be taken lightly here at UIowa. Professors expect that you keep up with every assignment and that you are fully prepared when test time rolls around. Sure, sites like Clusterflunk.com can help with some last minute cramming, but I can promise you that your best bet at getting good grades is actually taking a few hours a day to go over your course material.
“Make sure that during your freshman year you always make time to sit down and study everyday. Whether it is just 1-2 hours a day, do not forget! With the fast pace college life it is very easy to fall behind.” –Amber Williams, Sophomore
8. Don’t get caught up on Netflix.
Getting caught up in binge watching your favorite TV series on Netflix can be the easiest thing in the world. You sit down to watch one episode and before you know it, four hours have gone by…it’s addicting, I get it. So, before you get comfy on the couch make sure that your other priorities come first. If you need to, set an alarm on your phone so you don’t lose track of time. Summer is over, which means we no longer have the leisure of wasting the days away watching and entire series in a matter of a few days.
“[Netflix] is more entertaining than studying. It’s bad enough that I’ll be up watching something and then all of the sudden it’s 4 a.m. and I haven’t accomplished anything. Long story short, my lack of sleep and attendance to social functions can all be blamed on Netflix.” –Elizabeth Hayes, Senior
9. Do watch what you put on social media.
With social media becoming a huge part of every person’s life, it’s easy to get in the habit of wanting to post every single detail about what’s going on in your life. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are becoming more and more troublesome as people are starting to regret some of the things that are associated to their online profiles. For example, if you’re under 21 it’s probably not the best idea to post pictures of you and your friends chugging mugs on mug night at Brothers. If you’re in a sorority, don’t be snap chatting pictures of yourself taking shots at a party in your letters. Watch what you post about your job and about your classes because social media is becoming more and more of a personal reflection of yourself. Think of it like this… don’t post anything you wouldn’t want your grandma or any future employer to see.
“The best example of this I can think of is Vodka Sam. Everyone remembers that. You never know if what you may think is ‘cool’ can come back to bite you in the butt. Not everything is meant to be posted on the Internet. ” –Lydia Morris, Junior
10. Don’t act like fresh meat
I get this may be a hard tip to follow, but I promise that this one will be most beneficial for you to obey. During the new year, returning students are always on the look out for incoming freshmen. Let’s be honest, it’s not always difficult to be able to point them out. Word to the wise from multiple upper classmen is to simply not be “that freshman”. Watch yourself downtown, keep the Greek life under control, don’t be easy, watch the snootiness, and learn your place. I get that you guys just came from being big dogs back at your high school, but remember that you have once again become the little fish in the pond. No worries, though. Freshman year will go by quicker than you think and soon enough you’ll work your way up the food chain.
Well, there you have it. A compiled list of gathered knowledge from the sophomore, junior, and senior classes here at UIowa. What you choose to do with this information is entirely up to you, but it has obviously worked for dozens of students before you. Remember, you’re freshman year is the beginning to some of the best years of your life! Be smart, be safe and have fun!