Starting college is a time full of the unknown. You don’t know what to expect or how to act sometimes. All of that is expected, but I’m here to ease your stress and help your adjustment to college life be as easy as possible. Here are 5 tips I wish I knew before starting my freshman year.

Office Hours

It’s important to build a strong connection with your professors, after all, they’re not just your educators. Your professors can become future mentors who can write recommendations or even provide you with job opportunities. The best way to build a good connection is to go to office hours, even if you don’t need help with your coursework.

Changing Your Major

This is a pretty normal occurrence in college. A lot of people assume that the first major they decide on is what they’re gonna stay in all 4 years. As someone who ended up switching her major after freshman year, it can be the best thing for you. College is meant for growth and figuring out who you are and what you want to do. Who knows, changing your major might lead you to a job you never knew about.

Involvement

Joining clubs and organizations is a great way to find friends and explore new passions you might have. There are so many different types of ways to get involved; you could join a recreational/intramural sports team, join a business organization, or even a sorority/fraternity. As fun as all these clubs are, it’s important to be sure not to overinvolve yourself. You want to make sure you have free time to get homework done, hang out with friends, or even take some time for yourself. It’s super easy to get swept up in all the fun clubs and organizations at school, but you want to make sure you don’t stress yourself out by overscheduling. Sticking to 1-3 activities is always a good amount to get you involved while maintaining your stress levels.

Budgeting

This is a big thing that not a lot of incoming freshmen understand. You spend a lot of money in college, especially in your first year. My biggest tip is to track your expenses early on and make sure you know the difference between needs and wants. You can even schedule out ahead of time when you’re gonna make bigger purchases like concert tickets or going out, and plan your spending accordingly. On top of that, there are so many fun things you can do on campus that are cost-free. Here are a few ideas: Recreational/intramural sports, residents’ hall events, and UC events.

Stress

Freshman year can be occasionally lonely and very overwhelming. You may feel stressed very frequently, which is completely normal. My advice is to reach out before it gets to be too much and work to find ways to manage your stress. Also, just remember that you need time to adjust to this big life change, so give yourself some grace.