Navigating College Life: Advice for a Successful Transition

The prospect of college can feel overwhelming for many incoming students. Transitioning into college can be challenging, but universities provide resources to students to make this a little easier. Getting advice from students who have made the transition before can be a great way to begin framing your college experience. Here’s some advice to help you navigate college successfully, covering everything from academics and social life to personal well-being.

Finding Your Place and Building a Community

The Importance of Clubs and Extracurriculars

Clubs and extracurricular activities are critical to finding a community and home on campus. One thing every college freshman needs to know is to try out a bunch of different activities and stick with what you love the most! Universities often host fairs where clubs set up tables around campus and welcome new students to get involved and connected within their groups. There are endless opportunities to find friends in a college setting.

Embrace New Experiences

College is a time meant for personal growth and exploration. Be open to new experiences and welcoming change as your college experience continues. Try new things! One of the best decisions you can make is to dive into your experiences-as a student, friend, and even an athlete-and be comfortable enough in who you are to take chances and explore new interests.

Meet People and Build Connections

The first people you meet will not necessarily be your best friends. Keep meeting people throughout your first year on your floor, dorm, cafeteria, parties, gym, and classroom. Don’t assume you’ll meet your best friend the first day or that your roommate will become your best friend. You don’t need to become best friends with the people you meet on your first day of college. You also don’t need to become best friends or even “friends” with your roommate. You need to get along with people and be a compassionate person, but not having that friendship bond with random people you meet is perfectly normal and OK. Keep engaging in the many opportunities for campus involvement, and you’ll eventually find people who click with you and become your friends.

Be Bold and Inclusive

Everyone is waiting for an invite. Be bold. Be the person who invites someone else. And if no one wants to come, it's OK to go do it alone. As a new student, you may get into the habit of planning all your campus outings in the company of friends, but remember you can also do these things alone too. And it's actually good to learn to do things independently. Go eat at the student dining hall alone. Walk to class alone. Or join a student organization alone. Doing things alone can also open you up meeting new people and truly taking in your surroundings. No one looks funny sitting alone.

Read also: Your Guide to Nursing Internships

Academic Success and Time Management

Level Up Academically

Your teachers in high school may tell you this all the time, but be prepared to level-up academically. In my experience, the content of the courses isn’t what gets exponentially more difficult, especially if you have experience in AP or IB courses, but it is the difficulty of time management and homework. You’ll be busy in college, so figuring out how to properly study and manage your time contributes to the increase in academic difficulty. But don’t worry- you will figure it out!

Time Management and Prioritization

Something that can help you manage your time would be to find a paper planner or online calendar to help you track assignments, events, classes and social plans. Aside from managing your calendar, you will learn to manage your time strategically. If you notice that you are consistently bored or have too much free time on your hands, try getting involved in a club or organization on campus! College is filled with decisions like what classes to take, what groups to join, what people to spend your time with. It is a lot easier to make these decisions if you take time to understand yourself. College isn’t necessarily more challenging than high school, but just different. You will have less daily homework and more long-term assignments, like essays, more significant projects, and more extensive tests.

Utilize Campus Resources

College will have resources to help you academically. As a student you have access to a lot of great resources that are included in your tuition and fees. Want help figuring out what classes to take? Need help sorting out your finances? Need help communicating with professors about special accommodations? Want someone to talk to about feelings of anxiety? Or want to join a fun sport in your free time? You have so much at your fingertips. Unsure where to start? Ask your resident assistant about what’s available.

Engage with Professors

Make use of faculty office hours. The better you get to know your professors, the better you will do in the class. And you never know if/when you need a letter of recommendation from a professor! Professors are not only there to teach you a lecture a couple of times a week. They are there to help you and accommodate you as their student. Speak up in class, stay around to talk after lecture, go to office hours or volunteer to help with research or projects. Because you’ll likely be one of few students who actually do this, you’ll have a better shot at building a lasting connection that sticks for your years in college.

The BELL Core Curriculum

The BELL Core curriculum is a great opportunity to study something new. Every student at Belmont will take classes to fulfill their general education credits. Some of these categories include fine arts, lab science, wellness and humanities courses.

Academic Support Services

Here is a list of a few common services on campuses:

Financial aid - Paying for school is a complex and difficult task, but the Financial Aid office is here to help you. Confidential counseling services are available to students in a variety of formats.
Murphy Learning Center: Receive free tutoring services in a variety of courses. Additionally, The Writing Center and Public Speaking Center are available.
Murphy Library: Help with research, access to study spaces, hundreds of databases, computers, books, reference materials, special collections, and more.
Recreational Eagle Center: Let’s Move! Intramurals, Esports, Sport Clubs, Outdoor Connection, Fitness, Indoor Climbing, and more!
Campus Food Pantry: Non-perishable food and hygiene items. To gain access, complete the registration form. Open to all students.
Campus Thread: A free clothing closet with everything from jeans and T-shirts to professional attire such as suits and dresses.
Office of Multicultural Student Services: Support with academics, finances, leadership, and personal/social development for African American, Indigenous/American Indian, Hispanic/Latinx, Asian American, Hmoob, and biracial or multi-ethnic students.
Disability Resource Center: Staff can help communicate with your professors and staff about any disability related accommodations, including extended test-taking, note-taking, ASL interpreting services, and much more.
City bus transportation: With a student ID, you don’t have to pay.
Violence Prevention Office: A Violence Prevention Specialist is available to assist you with advocacy, information, and support so that you can make informed choices about the options available to you.

Goal Setting and Personal Growth

Setting College Goals

It is very helpful to set goals for your time in college. It can help you visualize how you want your future to look, and will help you grow, both as a student and as a person. Take some time to think about what you want your college experience to look like. Is having a leadership position on campus important to you? Are academics your first priority? Do you want to have an internship during your time in college? These goals can help shape your decisions, starting your first semester. If you don’t meet the goals, have grace with yourself. Plans may change at some point, and your goals will change with them.

Skills for Independence

There are a few things that every college freshman needs to know. Seemingly unimportant skills like knowing how to do your laundry, clean a dorm room and taking care of your car will be crucial to know in college. You may potentially be living independently from your family for the first time, so it's important to learn from them while you are all in the same place.

Embracing Change and Growth

College is the transition between childhood and adulthood. It is a time for trial and error and real-life consequences. College is a good place to explore so many potential paths. Learning to learn is the most important thing you can do.

The Five Types of Growth in College

Mental Growth: Mental growth is the development of your mind. It can be achieved through journaling, meditating, or anything that frees and relaxes your mind.
Physical Growth: Physical growth is taking care of your body. This can be done by going to the gym, running, and/or eating healthier.
Emotional Growth: Emotional growth is the development of your feelings. Expressing and talking about your emotions are small actions you can take that make a difference. Bottling it in causes distress and can lead to mental health issues. There is always someone with whom you can talk.
Academic Growth: Academic growth is different for each of us. Always try to do better than the previous semester.
Social Growth: Social growth is massive in college. We typically want to be friends with the fun people. You have heard it a million times, but choose your friends wisely. Solid relationships can be found in college. Choose friends who will encourage, motivate, and push you to do better, help when you want to stop or give up, and tell you the truth and not belittle you.

A Broader Worldview

Perhaps one of the most-underrated advantages of going to college is the instant exposure to new people, new perspectives, and, often, people and cultures you have rarely encountered before. It’s great to branch out and not live or consume information within your own echo chamber.

The Growth and Evolution of Values

It’s almost inevitable that there will be times when your current values are challenged in college - and it’s likely some of those values will change or evolve. College is a transformative journey that offers countless opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Setting Boundaries and Resolving Conflicts

Learning to assess your boundaries, communicate them properly, and set them in a healthy and respectful way is likely one of the biggest growing pains we experience, whether we go to college or not. However, you’ll likely have classes that can help you extract these skills and practice them in safer environments.

Practical Tips for College Life

Packing Essentials

What you bring to college depends on the person. My advice would be to make a running list early on in the summer that includes every single thing you want to remember to buy and pack. Take into account the clubs you may want to join, and the interests you want to pursue in the future. There are also many comprehensive packing lists available online, if you need a place to start. One thing every college freshman needs to know is that the things you think you’ll need in college may not be what you’ll end up using. There may be items or clothing that you pack that you’re sure you’ll use all the time, that you actually end up forgetting about!

Seeking Advice

My advice to high school seniors in their last months before graduation would be to seek out college advice. Learn as much as you can about your college, your future course of study, and opportunities you might be interested in for the fall. This way, you’ll feel equipped and ready to take on college when you land on campus in the fall.

Staying Organized

Staying organized isn't just about managing your college workload; it's a skill that will serve you well in your professional life too. Staying organized isn't just about managing your college workload; it's a skill that will serve you well in your professional life too. By keeping track of your assignments, deadlines, and commitments, you're not only managing your time effectively in college but also laying the groundwork for future success.

Managing Your Well-being

Get your rest, and make sure to take care of yourself. Students need to balance their lifestyle with exercise and getting enough sleep. A short nap is a good idea for many. Prioritize your physical and mental health. Eat well, get enough sleep, exercise regularly, and seek support when you need it.

Overcoming Homesickness

You will have a period of adjustment during your first semester. You will feel homesick at some point. Building independence is vital during those first few weeks of freshman year. You are going to be ok.

Staying Informed

It may seem obvious, but the simple act of reading the things that are given or sent to you can go a long way in helping you understand what needs to be done or opportunities that you want to take. For example, in your classes, you will be given a syllabus, a summary of what will be covered in an academic course. Reading this right away will help you develop a framework for what needs to be done and when.

tags: #college #life #advice #for #students