{"id":745,"date":"2015-09-28T22:14:15","date_gmt":"2015-09-28T22:14:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/dome\/?p=745"},"modified":"2017-10-09T12:27:18","modified_gmt":"2017-10-09T17:27:18","slug":"5-tips-for-college-freshmen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/celtadmissionsblog\/freshmen\/5-tips-for-college-freshmen\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Tips for College Freshmen: Advice to Survive Your First Year in College"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor\u2019s Note: Freshman year of college is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, full of ups and downs. University of Thomas student Ally Piotrowski (Theology \u201916) shares her advice for college freshmen.<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to get overwhelmed your freshmen year of college. What you do in your first year of college can have a tremendous impact on the rest of your college years, and your life. Understanding some common college life advice going into it can be very helpful. Reference the college life tips I found helpful my first year in college.<\/p>\n

Freshman Tip #1: Participate in Events on Campus<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Freshmen<\/p>\n

I may be a little biased because I\u2019m an RA, but I believe that going to the events on campus is vital. Events are the perfect opportunity to do something fun, to make new friends and to take a break from studying. At first, I avoided participating in college events during my early years because I am an introvert, and was afraid of being in a room with a lot of people. Then I realized I sat in my room all day studying, and I deserved to have fun. Since I started going to events, I have made a lot of friends and had so many amazing experiences. Not to mention the free stuff that they give away at events is AWESOME.<\/p>\n

Freshman Tip<\/strong> #2:\u00a0Go to Class<\/strong><\/p>\n

This might seem like an odd tip for a first-year college student, but be a good student and go to class. In college, there is freedom because professors don\u2019t always take attendance, but don\u2019t make the mistake of missing classes \u2013 especially your first year. In my experience, going to class and participating will help you achieve great grades. After all, how are you going to know anything about the subject matter if you haven\u2019t heard the professor lecture on it? Start college off right and be a good student.<\/p>\n

Freshman Tip<\/strong> #3: Get an Internship<\/strong><\/p>\n

I would highly recommend looking into an internship even if it\u2019s not required for your major. The internship I had at City Hall the beginning of my sophomore year was life changing. I had always been interested in politics, and did extremely well in high school government. Naturally, I thought political science would be ideal for me. I was grateful to have had the opportunity to work for six months at City Hall (through a stressful election time), and learned that politics was not the right place for me. I wouldn\u2019t have known this had I not taken my internship. Although it is a great career field for some folks, I didn\u2019t enjoy being behind a desk every day. I also found there wasn\u2019t much time to go outside, and it took a long time to help people. My internship<\/a> helped me better understand myself and what future careers would make me happy. I think it is very important for all students to have the experience of a college internship.<\/p>\n

Freshman Tip<\/strong> #4<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/strong>Don\u2019t be afraid to ask for help<\/strong><\/p>\n

We all know college is difficult and students have to\u00a0sacrifice a lot in order to get there. Sometimes you are going to need help, whether it is with a class you don\u2019t understand, or if you need some help with stress management. UST offers a wide variety of student-focused offices that are willing to help you out. Some offices at UST that really helped me are:<\/p>\n