upcoming college freshman tips:

Hey there! Are you an upcoming freshman in college? If so here are great tips for making your experience easier, and overall things I wish I knew before my first semester

Tip #1: Do your financial aid early

I made the mistake of not doing my financial aid early several times, and because of it, my classes were almost dropped. All schools will be giving you a date where financial aid is open to start, so keep an eye for that date! Do it early that way  you don't have any extra fee's to pay or classes dropped. Doing it early will save you stress and will ensure your classes will be saved!

Tip #2: Enroll in classes EARLY

My school does advisement early on, so we can choose classes before they fill up. Most colleges will tell you which classes you will need to take before you graduate, so enrolling in those classes early will allow you to lock that class in before it is filled up. Some classes may have  a wait list because it is full, so be sure to know what classes you need before advisement time.

Tip #3: Textbooks

My first semester I discovered that I could rent textbooks instead of buying them. Not all books can be rented however, but this saved me a lot of money. All my classes required textbooks and they can add up in price! Renting textbooks is a great option because its cheaper, and if you don't want or need to keep it, you just return it when it is time to! Its important to know which classes you need a textbook for or not. Some classes may have a textbook but never use it. Ask your teacher/professor if you need the textbook because you may not, which will save you money!

Tip #4: Don't splurge on notebooks, folders and binders.

Im glad that I have an older sister whose also attending college, because she really helped me prepare for my first year of college. I was told to not go crazy with school supplies, so I only bought what I thought I would need. In the end, I found that every college student should have these supplies for their college classes:

- 5 subject notebook

- Pens/pencils/extra led

- USB drive: 16 GB for lots of storage

- Paper

-Highlighters

-Calculator

-Index cards for vocabulary

-Planner/agenda**** VERY IMPORTANT

-Paper Clips

-Sticky Notes

- Laptop***

- Folder

I found that a 5 subject notebook was perfect for all of my classes. I didn't need to buy separate notebooks for each class. I didn't have a laptop my first semester of freshman year and I realized how a laptop would really help me in college. My 2nd semester of my freshman year I had 2 online classes, and I purchased a laptop and it was a LIFESAVER! I was able to do all my assignments faster and easier using a personal laptop. All colleges will have a computer room too, for students to use so if you can't afford a laptop, you can use your schools computers. I also had purchased a yearly planner to write down my assignments in for all my classes. Unfortunately I had gotten lazy and didn't write them down for the end of my spring semester, which I regretted later on when I missed assignments.( Uh Oh). Always have the planner on hand so you can immediately write down when you have a test, quiz or an assignment due.

Tip #5: Always have your student ID on you at all times

I am unsure about other schools, but my school had our student ID hooked up to our financial aid. This way we could scan our card, and we could use our financial aid that way. Your student Id will also allow you to have access to facilities and buildings on campus. It is important to have it with you incase you need it.

Tip #6:Dont spend a lot of $$ on food and drinks.

I am very bad with this one because I go to a culinary school, where food is around me at all times. All colleges will have a cafeteria and or local restaurants around it. My college is right in a destination where there are several restaurants nearby. Also, my college has a bakery, a deli and a 5 star restaurant, so I have access to food all around me. This lead me to spending money every day on food and drinks. This added up because of the location of my college and the fact that it was at a school setting, the prices were expensive. Try not to spend too much money on food at college because prices will be more expensive, and you will end up spending a lot more than needed. Bring snacks and drinks from home that way you won't have to spend extra money when there's no need to. The freshman 15 may be a thing, but I was lucky to avoid that. So can you!! You're going to be really tempted to spend money on food. Its ok to once in awhile but don't make a habit out of it like I did my freshman year!

Tip #7: STUDY STUDY STUDY:

I was very lucky my freshman year to get easy classes where I barely had to study. Unfortunately, not every college is like that. Most colleges are difficult, and will involve lots of studying. Every college has areas dedicated to studying so take advantage of that while you can! Take very good notes for each class and actually pay attention! Its important to study for classes that way you can pass the class. College is much harder than high school classes, so prepare yourself to study more!

Tip #8: Find where all your classes are before your first day

I am very blessed to have such a small campus for my college. It is in one building so the classes are remotely close to each other. However the main campus of my college is larger, and the one time I went there to do financial aid, I got really lost! When I went to freshman orientation, I had went around and found where all my classes were ahead of time that way I wouldn't get lost . If your college is larger, make sure you are familiar with where everything is located.

Tip #9: Bring a laptop charger, headphones,and phone charger every day

There were dreadful days where my phone died, while I had a big break in between classes and I found myself left with nothing to do while I waited. I quickly invested not only in several phone chargers but a portable charger as well. This helped me charge my phone during class if there are no charging outlets available. I brought chargers of several length so I could use them depending on where the outlet was located. This helped me from being bored out of my mind, and allowed me to use my phone if I needed it. Bringing headphones will allow you to listen to music while studying or waiting for a class to start.

Tip#10:Make friends

Making friends is always fun, especially in an new setting. It may feel very intimidating at first, but its important to get to know the people in your classes. You can then study with them and it will make the class go by easier knowing that you have friends with you. It will also make the experience less intimidating and scary.

Tip 11: Come to class a half hour before the scheduled time

Coming to class early saves you time in case you need to finish an assignment or study quickly. Always set a half hour to an hour aside to get to class early so that in case you are running late, you know that you will be early .I always go to my classes an hour early that way I can make sure I get their with time to do things such as grab breakfast, go to my locker, study, or finish an assignment.

Tip #12: Bring a sweater with you everyday

I doubt that its just my college that is really cold but I regretted the times I didn't bring a sweater with me to classes. The classrooms I've been in have always been really cold, so bringing a sweater helped me stay war. In the summer, it may be weird to bring a sweater with you to class but you will love having it while you will be warm.

HOW TO SURVIVE 8AM CLASSES

8am classes are every college students worst nightmare. I had an 8am class my spring semester, during WINTER! I take the bus to school because that's the only way I can get transportation, and because of that I had to wake up even earlier to catch an early bus. Who likes to wake up that early for a class? My 8am class was very boring, and everyone was half asleep. Because it was early in the am, I rushed out the door every day not able to eat breakfast. The good thing is I give myself enough time before class to get food if I needed. For an 8am class, I recommend getting breakfast and coffee before so that you are at least mostly awake during class. I am not a fan of coffee, so I would walk down to a nearby starbucks and get a frappacino to help energize myself. If you have a hard time waking up in the morning , maybe take a nice h shower that way it will wake you up faster.

I don't dorm at my college, I commute. I unfortunately don't have a car so I worried about how I would get to and from school. I decided to invest in a bus pas and realized how it really helped me out. It is ok to take public transportation to college if you have to! I was so embarrassed to take the bus that I would turn around so that the cars driving by wouldn't see who I was. Later on I realized that there are a lot of college students that take the public bus to school! It is  a great option for transportation! However you must make sure you know the schedule so you don't miss the bus.

I hope that these tips will help guide you through college and make your experience easier! Like I mentioned before my college experience is much different than most, being less stressful so prepare yourself for a different experience!