The pandemic is still happening, but many individuals have vaccinated themselves.
This means that although everything is not quite back to normal now, we should see a slow return to the way things used to be in several different niches this year – higher learning is one of them.
Although many universities will still offer online classes, we should see some in-person ones this fall semester as well.
If you recently graduated high school and you’ll be a college freshman this year, you might attend a university in person. Possibly you’ll move out of your home town or even head to a different state to do it.
That might seem overwhelming to you. Don’t worry, though – we’ve got a few tips that should help you, and we’ll go through them now.
1. If You Drive to and From Class, Be Careful
Some college freshmen have their own vehicles, while others do not. There are plenty of them that use public transportation to get to their classes, or they might even walk or ride their bike from a nearby apartment.
Let’s assume for a moment that you have your own vehicle. Maybe you saved up your money and bought one before you left for college, or perhaps one of your parents gave you their old hand-me-down car with a ton of miles on it.
If you and your friends pile into your vehicle and head to class, don’t let them distract you. Distracted driving is an exceedingly dangerous thing that you can do, and campus police will likely be watching for speeding and swerving cars. You don’t want to get slapped with a ticket or hit a pedestrian or cyclist by accident.
2. Make Friends But Focus on Your Studies
You might feel like you can reinvent yourself when you go to college. Maybe you want to abandon some aspects of who you used to be and take on a whole new persona.
On the other hand, maybe you’ve already got total confidence in who you are, and you don’t need to change a thing to make some new friends among your classmates.
You can certainly meet some friends in college that might last you the rest of your life if you’re lucky. Some students find they have lots in common. You might even find a romantic interest since some college trysts lead to marriage or long-term partnerships.
There’s nothing wrong with any of that, but remember that you or your parents are probably shelling out a lot of money for you to be where you are. You don’t want to get so caught up in making friends and attending gatherings that you neglect your studies and start failing classes.
There ought to be room in your life for both if you budget your time wisely.
3. You Don’t Need to Know Your Major When You Start Taking Classes
You also might go off to college and have the four years you’ll be there all planned out. You may have a major in mind and know exactly what type of job and career path you wish to pursue when you graduate.
That’s not true for everyone, though. If you go to college with one major, but then after a couple of classes, you find that it’s not working out for you, you can always drop the courses you don’t like and say you’re not declaring a major for the moment. You might wait to declare one until your second or third year there.
Often, the more different classes you take, the more obvious it will be where your interests and talents lie. You may suddenly realize the best path forward for you, even if it’s not what you envisioned when you were younger.
4. As Your College Career Progresses, Try to Think About the Future
As you get a little further into your college career, you can live in the moment, enjoying the parties and socializing that are part of most collegiate experiences.
At the same time, though, you should try to think about the moves for you that make the most sense in the foreseeable future.
For instance, did you meet someone, and are you in a serious relationship with them now? Do you want to cohabitate or marry after college? Do you want to head to graduate school, or will a four-year degree suffice?
You’re on the threshold of your adult life, and that might intimidate you, but it’s something about which you need to think.
