It’s the stuff of nightmares: arriving in class late on the first day and having five hundred people watch you find your seat.
We’ve all been there, and the first day is always stressful, but here are six things you can do to make it much less so.
1. Know where you need to be. Some of us have great memories, but even so, many details fly out the window when we’re rushing around. Look up on-line (so the information is up-to-date) where and when all your classes are. Print out (or write neatly) a copy of your schedule and the campus map. Then go to campus before the first day of classes, and walk your class schedule in order.
When the actual first day comes around you’ll be poised and relaxed as you saunter in to your classes on time. This is also a good time to identify important locations, like bathrooms and coffee shops.
2. Know how long it will take. How long does the bus take? How long does it take to find parking on the first day? If anybody will be waiting for you for a ride or anything else, make sure you know when you’re done. Ask around. If you have to ask a professor, be very careful not to imply you hope that they’ll be done quickly.
3. Know what it will cost. This is a tough one, particularly so because even knowing what something will cost doesn’t mean you’ll be able to find the money in this economy. Having said that, if you’re going to college, you’re going to be spending money. You need to know about how much, and you need to be willing to spend it. How much is the bus? How much is parking? How much is food and coffee? Most importantly, how much are books? Do your best to get access to your books quickly even if money is tight.
Take classes with friends so you can share. See if the texts are in the library. Find out if one will be used later in the semester only. Look in to renting books, used books, and ebooks. Your bookstore, college bulletin boards, newpapers and various on-line sources can help you here. It’s not a good idea to try and take a class without the recommended texts.
4. Budget your time. As much as you have to work, and as much as you want to see your friends or your significant other, make sure that if you’re serious about succeeding in college that you budget enough time to get your reading and homework done, and prepare for tests. Nothing will reinforce the importance of this more than the first time you fail to do it, but try to avoid getting in that crunch.
5. Be rested and ready. Start your first day with a pencil or pen (preferably two), a notebook with blank pages, and your schedule and map. Your ID, both state and school may come in handy, and a few dollars cash if you can scrounge them. A cell phone is very handy-particularly a smart phone-though many colleges are yet to optimize their web pages for phones. A good night’s sleep will also do you wonders.
6. Relax, you did it. While the odds are that something went wrong some time during your first day, with any luck at all, it was minor, you were prepared for it, and you dealt with it like you’d been anticipating it your whole life. The hard part is over-now you just have to go back in a couple of days and do it again.
In the meantime: have breakfast, take a nap, put your feet up or have a glass of beer-you deserve it and you earned it.