Getting Off to the Best Start in Your First Year of College


There's no doubt that your first year of college will be exciting, but moving away from home for the first time and having greater independence and a whole host of new responsibilities will probably be a little intimidating, too.

Learn how to successfully navigate the academic and social worlds of college with some useful tips that include: striving to get along with your roommate, being flexible, taking your coursework seriously, creating and following a schedule, and getting involved with student activities.

Strive to Get Along with Your Roommate

Especially in their first year, most students will live with a roommate and, often times, it's an individual they don't know beforehand. While some roommate pairings seem to be totally natural right from the beginning, others take a little work to establish a friendship or at least a good system for sharing a living space.

At our off-campus Fanshawe College residence, we provide a roommate matching service that is an effective way to ensure you're paired with other students who suit your personality and share some of your lifestyle preferences.

No matter where you choose to live, one of the easiest ways to create 'roommate harmony' is to establish some rules. This list should include how you want to approach sharing food or other items, study time, having guests (especially overnight guests), going to bed, and more.

Be Flexible

Being flexible can keep you open to, and ready for, change. Since post-secondary is a new adventure and a major adjustment, you will need this flexibility. Flexibility and openness will also come in handy when meeting people from different backgrounds with different values, personalities, etc. The more flexible and open you are, the easier it will be to understand, investigate, and accept these differences. Flexibility can also help you with course selection. If you’re open-minded and looking to explore new areas, you can find plenty of interesting and unique courses.

Unique activities and experiences also await students who are willing to try them. Knowing that change is inevitable can make you accepting and less anxious when it happens. Don’t panic if your interests change or if you begin to disconnect with old friends or even members of your family. It’s a part of growing up, especially as you learn new things, meet new people, travel to new places, and have new experiences.

Take Your Coursework Seriously

There are lots of opportunities for fun, but your primary goal is to learn and not to party. Learning at the collegiate level is much different than learning at the high school level. Your professor won’t hold your hand by making sure you’ve completed reading assignments, are taking notes, or will turn your assignments in on time.

Take the learning process seriously. Here's how: 
Ø  Take notes in a structured and efficient manner – during lectures and reading assignments
Ø  Get plenty of rest to ensure you're alert during class
Ø  Stay as focused as possible on the professor and classroom activity
Ø  Engage in classroom discussions and ask questions
Ø  Use flashcards and other engaging shortcuts as study aids
Ø  Ask for help from your professor, other students and/or visit the tutoring centre or other learning centres when needed, or join a study group
Ø  Write a personal mission statement and stick to it
Ø  Study in a quiet area and visit the library often
Ø  Take study breaks
Ø  Mark your assignments and projects in your calendar

Create and Follow a Schedule

A comprehensive schedule is a must-have for all students, as they help you keep track of important tasks and assignments. You can create a schedule using your smartphone calendar, a calendar app, or a physical planner. This schedule doesn’t have to include your course schedule, but it should include:
Ø  Daily activities, including attending classes
Ø  Pertinent tasks, such as completing assignments and personal obligations
Ø  Your work schedule
Ø  Weekly and monthly academic and personal goals
Ø  Space for leisure activities
Follow your plan carefully and refer to it when needed. Additionally, only write your schedule in pencil or erasable ink, as this makes it easier to change some things or delete them from your plans.

Get Involved with Student Activities

Joining a club, volunteering, or playing sports can promote school pride. It can also promote personal pride and confidence, raise self-esteem and self-awareness, and make you feel like you’re a part of the school. Involvement in activities is also an excellent cure for loneliness and a way to exercise your talents or feed your interests.

Last but not least, one of the best ways to ensure a great first year at school is to find awesome student housing. Residence on First is an off-campus Fanshawe College residence and your source for a fun and comfortable living environment. Contact us today for more information.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Should You Live On or Off Campus?

Living on or off campus is a consideration that all college or university students will face at some time. While making the decision is easy for some, for others it may be too important to make on a whim or without previous planning. However, everyone is unique. Your decision to stay in the dorms or move to an off-campus apartment is truly your own. And, fortunately, there are some pros and cons of both that can help you with the decision. Below is a brief breakdown of these pros and cons. Pros and Cons of Living Off Campus Essentially, living off campus is designed to provide responsibility and independence. And just like college life, it comes with its share of ups and downs. To ensure you make the right decision about where to live, you must be aware of these advantages and disadvantages. Some of the most notable ‘downs’ of living off campus, include: It can sometimes be more expensive than living on campus, especially since you may have to pay for utilities...
Read more

Tips for Staying Healthy in College

You’re young. You may feel like staying healthy is nothing to worry about — after all, it won’t affect you much now. In fact, it is critical to start developing good habits early. Not only will this make it easier to stick to a healthy lifestyle later in life, you’ll also feel better now. 1. Focus on Your Diet Even if you’re neither underweight nor overweight, you need to think about what you eat. Keeping to a balanced diet will improve your immune system, allowing you to fit off any viruses that come your way. Start the day right by having breakfast. At the very least, eat a piece of fruit. If you have more time, prepare a proper meal. Alternatively, get something ready the night before and store it. Then, over the rest of the day, avoid snacking. Instead, eat proper meals at regular times. This will encourage you to eat healthy foods and stop you feeling hungry late at night. 2. Exercise Regularly At a minimum, you need at least 20 minutes of moderate exercise ever...
Read more

Signs of a Shady Landlord

Having a good landlord is key to living a happy life in an off campus residence. So, aside from checking the amenities of the student apartments for rent near Fanshawe College London, Ontario , it would also be good for you to observe their landlords and see if they would be someone you can rely on. Here are a few traits and behaviours to watch out for: Doesn’t Provide Their Contact Information Providing contact information to incoming residents is a common practice among property managers of reputable student apartments in London, Ontario . The landlords who do not readily provide this information are obviously not very responsible, and you wouldn’t want to end up in a student apartment where you’d have a hard time contacting the landlord when something needs fixing. Leasing with college residences like Residence on First, which are run by property managers with several years’ experience, can give you peace of mind knowing that you will always be able to get in touch with th...
Read more