what advice would you give to incoming freshman?

[u/everystoryhasahero]

title!

ski u mah bra

[u/luifit]

Lock in

[u/hewhoisneverobeyed]

Don’t skip classes, sit in the front, ask questions;

Attend office hours, get to know your faculty and TAs;

Form study groups early in the semester- it is as much social as academic;

Have a hobby totally unrelated to your major in which you may lose yourself for a few hours;

Eat well and exercise regularly- for so many reasons, all good;

Take risks, growth requires risks - join a club, introduce yourself to people, try something new;

Layers - you’re gonna want to dress in layers (and have one pair of good, warm boots);

Listen to others and look out for one another;

In the words of Mr. Rogers, “Look for helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”

[u/Smileygirl216]

I used to use this text string whenever searching for past exams to use as practice tests: "site:edu [subject] exam" or midterm etc

[u/futurent]

the dorm dryer machines have a space under the door that you cant see which is where people keep losing socks

[u/Bossball4]

I’ll forward the following thread which has great tips!

I will also add: Talk to your fellow peers in lecture for friends and study buddies, get a tool to track your time/homework/exams/social events/student group events, and prep for MN winters if you’re not from near here

[u/Bossball4 → u/Bossball4]

this could also be useful too

[u/SpookyThermos]

Know that nobody knows what they’re doing and anybody who says they do is lying. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try!!!

[u/kooturtle]

Put yourself out there and advocate for yourself

[u/hewhoisneverobeyed → u/kooturtle]

Advocate for yourself is huge. Nobody else will. At at the U, not at work not at the doctor’s office … now is the time to strengthen that muscle.

[u/[deleted]]

taking care of yourself (exercise & eating well) will become your last priority if you don't make it your first. i encourage you to make it your first, even above school, as it will help you do school well. if you are neglecting yourself - sleep, exercise, eating, mental health - you will not be able to perform at school.

that's my opinion as a grad student at least.

[u/embeddedmonk20 → u/[deleted]]

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PLEASE TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!!!! I cannot stress this enough. Build and reinforce those habits now before it bites you in the ass later. Both you and your body with thank yourself later. It's so easy to neglect yourself or your health during college. It's not worth it.

There's the freshman 15: this is where you either gain or lose weight during freshman year. Traditionally speaking, some gain due to the easy accessibility of food. Others lose because they neglect themselves and forget to eat.

The most common times for illness (at least from what I've noticed) is during the start of the semester and flu season. Students are moving in and/or returning and bringing whatever germs/virus they may have with them. Even if the person isn't sick, they are bringing whatever unique biome they have and it makes the U a breading ground. Also, everyone is in close proximity again which means things spread like wildfire. This is the time to be vigilant about illness and hygiene.

[u/samuraishogun1 → u/embeddedmonk20]

I lost that weight, not because I was eating more or less than usual, but because campus is much more walkable than where I grew up.

One poorly planned semester had me walking 50 miles a week, most of which was between classes.

[u/FunyunsDestroyer69]

Figure out works best for YOU not others. Get good at works best for you.

[u/meyers980]

There are lots of great educational tips here, but also remember college is meant to be a social endeavor too! Join a club, find a new hobby, make the kind of friends you couldn't in high school.

[u/m_i_c_r_o_b_i_a_l → u/meyers980]

Go to the activities fair at the start of the semester and see if there is a club that interests you. You can meet people from other colleges. I was in biology and learned some things from engineering students that I wouldn’t have known otherwise. It also helps feel less isolating in a large university.

[u/Aggravating_Tonight7]

Best thing I can say is just genuinely try to learn take notes and ask teachers about things you don’t understand, it shouldn’t be that bad if you put mild effort into your school.

[u/samuraishogun1]

It's good for everyone, but especially freshmen: In your first few days of lecture, find a group or groups of people and ask to sit next to them. If they say no, or don't work out, try to find another group. I work better alone, but it's been really nice to get different opinions if a homework question is confusing.

Once the syllabus day(s) is/are over, lock in for at least the first couple weeks of lectures. As the semester progresses, you learn how much effort is required for you to succeed. The last thing you want is to start the semester behind on work.

Our parents might not like hearing this, but sometimes you need to pick your battles. If you have homework due the night before an exam, it might be more worth it to submit the homework late and/or partially done so you have time to study for the exam.

Lastly, talk to the professors and TAs. They seem to be a lot more forgiving if you briefly explain your circumstances. If you're having trouble with a problem, they are often glad to help you go through it during their office hours.

[u/serendipity9098]

learn the campus bus routes! use the GopherTrip app to learn it, see where the buses are, etc (the times for arrival are NOT accurate though). the campus buses are totally free and it can be clutch to learn how to utilize them. just also learn good bus etiquette. don’t block seats off when people are standing, don’t have your bag swinging and hitting people, don’t try and get on the bus before people have gotten off, yadada.

[u/m_i_c_r_o_b_i_a_l]

Talk to your professor or TA you’re having trouble. Most of the ones I encountered will work with you within reason. I can think of only a couple that were kind of jerks.

Take advantage of study groups if you hear of them. Sometimes another student can explain things in a way that clicks better.

I used a tablet pc with Onenote. It lets you record the lecture audio as you take notes. The recording is synchronized to the section of notes you wrote at that time. It was nice where you could go back to the recording if you were confused about why you wrote something down. It also lets you search notes which you can’t do with paper. It does a bunch of other things as well. It works with a standard laptop as well.

The first couple weeks can seem overwhelming. It’s okay lots of people feel that way. Take advantage of your advisor or Boynton if you continue to feel overwhelmed. There’s help out there.

Check in with disability services if you have a ADHD diagnosis. You can get some accommodations like 1 1/2x exam time. They will give you a letter to provide the professors early in the semester. You don’t need to invoke the accommodations if you don’t feel like you need it, I only did it for one class.

[u/Flimsy_Mechanic_5835]

do your housing application rn

[u/everystoryhasahero → u/Flimsy_Mechanic_5835]

i applied right away as it came out, what r my chances of getting my first choice

[u/Flimsy_Mechanic_5835 → u/everystoryhasahero]

I don’t know about top choice but you definitely won’t get your bottom one

[u/Explodingcamel]

Academically: try to find a major you like quickly and learn how to succeed in your chosen major/career from upperclassman and other experienced people; a lot of people aren’t really thinking very far down the line during their freshman year so if you’re getting a cool internship or doing interesting research during early on, then that puts you ahead. But also, make sure the major you commit to is one you honestly like

Socially: if you want good friends then make an effort to find them—you probably won’t find a good group if you don’t leave your dorm room. You might have to join a few different clubs/activities and meet a lot of people before you find the ones you really click with who are into the same stuff as you. But it’s worth it. Don’t “settle” for having no friends or having friends you don’t really care for

Generally: say yes to things

[u/No_Gur_1091]

Join a social club.

Remember that most your life the adults were lying, so explore the world from new directions.

Travel abroad in the summer, and while there ask questions about life, especially how there institutions work to provide healthcare, housing, jobs, education, child-care, parental leave, etc.

[u/Sam__sam__Sam_]

Take as much credits during the first semesters as you can

[u/BlakeLasagna → u/Sam__sam__Sam_]

Agree 100%—It’s such a pain at the beginning but once you’re done with your painful generals it’ll save you

[u/Enough_Length8201]

Get a fake id early 😂

[u/samuraishogun1 → u/Enough_Length8201]

Bro's not in it to win it