15 Tips for Incoming College Freshmen

There is advice you read about college but may not necessarily follow. As a college graduate, I’m telling you there are some rules that must be followed if you want to come out with minimal debt, a great resume for your first job, and less stress.

Network Like Crazy.
Networking involves creating new relationships with contacts who can help you obtain a job or internship in the future. You won’t realize how important this is until either your senior year when you are trying to fill up your resume or until you are searching for your first “real” job. It’s harder for graduates to find jobs now, with only 19 percent of 2009 grads getting a job offer before finishing school (Business Insider). The advantage of networking is it increases your professional circle. Ways you can network include attending as many workshops held by your major’s department as possible and introducing yourself to any guest speakers. Also, make a good impression with your professors from the beginning. If you start networking from your freshman year, you should have a nice-sized network to choose from when the time comes.

Be Active. Volunteer and Participate!
I can’t stress this enough! Volunteer work and extracurricular work not only gives you chance to develop your skills, but can only help you in the long run with job searching. If you can avoid working full-time, I would strongly suggest doing it so that you can focus on activities that can increase your chances for internships and job offers after college.

Choose a Marketable Major.
Gone are the times when you could major in something like English or Sociology and expect to get a great-paying career straight out of college. If you are not planning on going to graduate school, pick a more reasonable, precise major, such as social work, accounting, nursing, or journalism. Make sure you research job outlook for your major as well. Consider the cost of the loans you may have to take out over the four years you are in school versus the salary you can expect.

Avoid Private Loans!
Although you would be best not to have any loans, especially avoid private loans if possible. Though you may think you will have the money to pay them back later, you should consider the fact of what you would do if you could not get a job immediately after college. Private loans carry a much higher interest rate, which means you will be paying much more money over time than what you would for a government loan. For example, I have a private loan that was taken out for $2500. Even though I am making payments on it as scheduled, my balance is now almost double that amount two years after I have graduated.

Avoid Credit Cards!
Don’t live on credit! Besides being low on money, you may also hurt your job opportunities. Many employers now do credit checks, as well. It doesn’t take long to rack up a big balance. Only spend what you have.

Never Pay Full Price for Textbooks.
Textbook prices are outrageous. Even used books are overly priced at bookstores. Everyone tells you that, but you’re still not prepared for the $300-400 price tag at the register. Find out what books you will need as soon as possible by visiting the book store and writing down the ISBN numbers. Then go home and look for them on Half.com or Amazon. You’ll be amazed at the difference. Just make sure you do it early enough that you can get the books in the mail in time for class.

Don’t Bring Your Printer.
Most colleges offer free printing, so save your money and print your papers at the school’s labs for free.

Know Your Limits.
If you’re not a morning person, don’t take morning classes. You can’t expect to magically change. You won’t wake up, you won’t pass, and you will be miserable. Schedule your time according to your personality. Also, don’t overextend yourself and take more than five classes your first semester until you know how much coursework you can handle.

Speak Up!
Class sizes in public college classrooms are often much bigger than high school classes, especially for intro classes which are usually in lecture halls. Sit closer to the front and don’t be afraid to participate and ask questions. You’re not going to be a “nerd” – unless you’re that person who doesn’t know how to give other people turns and who has to answer every question. The more you engage, the more likely the professor is going to get to know you personally, and the more likely you can use them for a reference in the future.

Be On Time!
There is no extra credit in college (or it is very rare), nor is there the ability to turn in papers late the way you could in high school. Show up on time. A professor’s pet peeve is the student who walks in late every class. Most classes will dock you a grade if you miss only a few classes, so show up and be present.

Explore Different Classes.
Don’t limit yourself. Take intro classes to several departments as electives. You might find you really love another major. If I would have taken more Sociology and Social Work classes, I wouldn’t have wasted so much time with the journalism major I never finished.

Get Out.
Don’t be afraid to interact with and volunteer in the community in which your college is in. The city that hosts your college is often reliant on – and grateful for – the students’ participation within the community. This will be your home for four years, and if you stay only in the college area, you will quickly be bored.

Bring Pictures.
The first year away from home is hard. Don’t go home every weekend though or you will not make connections and new friends. Bring plenty of pictures though and make phone calls and e-mails frequently. Just make sure it doesn’t interfere with new friendships.

Be Smart Sexually.
At least 25 percent of college students in the U.S. have an STD, according to Fox News. The most common STD is HPV. Several STDs show no symptoms. Colleges offer a quick means of transmitting diseases, especially when combined with drinking. Please be smart and wear a condom and be aware of your options. Most colleges offer health centers where you can get birth control. My college offered free condoms. You can also purchase the morning-after pill at any pharmacy counter without a prescription. (The pill is around $50, but let me assure you, it’s much cheaper than a child, so if you have any doubt, shell out the money!)

Enjoy the Free Stuff.
Okay, so you pay some fees, but it’s nothing compared to the full price you will pay once you are on your own. Visit the health center if needed and take advantage of free access to a gym! Life after college is expensive!

Sources
Health.com, 9 Health Hazards Hidden in College Dorms , Fox News
Kathleen Deveny, The Lost Grads: Born Into The Wrong Generation, Business Insider


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