If you are reading this, you might be a first-year student. If so, WELCOME! Going into the first year of college can seem daunting. It’s common to feel overwhelmed, not knowing what to expect or figuring out how all the new systems in your life are going to work. But it’s college. You’re here to learn (presumably), and getting through those first few weeks of awkward ice breakers will hopefully lead to bigger and better things beyond your college career. But…that’s not to say some tips and tricks wouldn’t be helpful.
First, allow us to introduce ourselves:
I’m Lauren, a current senior, digital media major, and veteran cookie baker in the small but mighty dorm kitchen, waging war on the barely working stove, trudging up and down the stairs bringing supplies to use the oven. In that I’ve had to find a clever way to hide all my supplies (in a dorm room), a hard task to do with enough baking supplies to make a 6-foot-tall cake, which I made at the same time as putting together my first TV newscast. Through my endeavors of baking and journalism, I’ve met many people, learned many things, and gained a great deal of intel to share with you all.
I’m Carter, a junior digital media major. Throughout my time here at BVU, I have learned so many things, like media creation, people, the First Amendment, life, wisdom teeth removal, and appendix ruptures (I had my wisdom teeth removed, and my appendix rupture in a two-week time span). As I gear up for my final year and a half, I wanted to share some of what I have learned about the good, the bad, and the ugly of college life.
Time Management
Lauren – I never kept a planner, a calendar, or time schedule before college. I now have a planner, calendar, AND time schedule. I very vividly remember going out on a certified Walmart RunTM to go get a whiteboard calendar after I started doing A LOT of interviews for the campus TV station and was having a tough time keeping them all straight. I didn’t have a clue where in the store one might even be. Of course, I’m not saying everyone needs to have all those things to be organized. There are lots of unique methods for keeping everything in line, but I recommend that you try to find what works best for you in the new college environment.
Carter – Time management can feel like a lot sometimes, especially on the days you have no energy or drive to work. One trick I like to do is set a timer for 20 to 30 minutes and force yourself to get some work done in that time. Also, don’t feel like you have to master time management right away. Spiderman didn’t know how to swing from building to building immediately. So, don’t feel like you have to master management right away. You may have to do some trial and error first to see what system works best for you. I’ve been in college for three years now, and I don’t even have this skill completely mastered yet.
Getting Involved
Lauren – Minecraft is fun. I love Minecraft. Buuut… Minecraft with friends is more fun. I’ve sat in my dorm room for hours playing solo Minecraft or on YouTube watching people have fun, but that could never compare to going on the radio at 4am with some of my favorite people from college or creating a big city on a server working together. Likewise, getting involved with clubs, student organizations, and fellow classmates is fun (and looks kinda nice on a resume). Seriously though, pick some clubs or organizations to try out and sign up for. You don’t have to go to every club meeting, just dip in your toes and see what you like. It’s your first year, time to test the waters.
Carter – Getting involved is crucial for your first year because it allows you to meet people, but it also helps you practice building personal and professional relationships. Learning how to build professional relationships now will help you get ahead. Soft skills are arguably the most important skills in the workforce because you want to be a person other people want to work with. One experience I can think of is when I went to the College Media Association national conference in Atlanta, Georgia as a sophomore. At the conference, I networked with other student media creators from around the country as well as some professionals in the field. Getting involved early in my college career helped me to build my soft skills and have confidence in myself to network with others.
Use Your Resources
Lauren – Resources doesn’t just mean the library or textbooks; they’re places and people, too. Professors are here to teach, tutors are here to help, and friends can make great study groups! And just a little tip: campus security is a fantastic resource if you happen to accidentally lock yourself out of your dorm or room. I may have managed to lock myself out twice when I was moving dorms this summer. Don’t be afraid to call them; they’re here to help!
Carter – Use the spaces and the tools that BVU provides because you will have to pay for them yourself when you graduate, and some of them are not cheap. There are things BVU offers that you may not even know about. For example, I didn’t know that BVU offers a free subscription to the New York Times until last year. Another cool resource BVU offers is a relaxation and resource room and a massage chair you can schedule to use.
It’s Okay to Ask for Help
Lauren – There are a million different ways to get help on campus academically and physically. I went to tutoring basically every other day for my math classes (math is very much not my thing). Take advantage of the Center for Academic Excellence and the tons of amazing tutors there. If you’re struggling in a subject, trust me, you’re not alone. It’s not a shameful thing to ask for help. Plus, the tutors are pretty awesome.
If you’re in sports and feel like something may be wrong or feel an injury coming on, do not keep it to yourself. Tell your coach right away and they can get you set up with one of our (super epic and cool) athletic trainers to treat the ailment before it gets too serious. It sucks to be out for most of the season just because of an injury (speaking from experience). But for real, if something hurts and you know it shouldn’t, get it checked out early.
Carter – If you are struggling mentally, it’s okay to reach out for help. It can be a lot to adapt when your world is changing so quickly. Know you aren’t alone and it’s okay to reach out for help and talk to someone. According to College Mental Health Facts, 80% of today’s college students suffer from some sort of mental health ailment while they attend college. Personally, I wish I would have reached out for help sooner since I felt overwhelmed when I first arrived at campus because of sports, clubs, and academics.
Meeting People
Lauren – To all you introverts out there, I see you. But people are pretty neat. It’s good to get space to recharge—that’s what we introverts need—but make sure you’re not closing yourself off from everyone around you. I had major social anxiety coming into college and I’m not saying I’m entirely over it, but it’s important to get around people however many or few. You’re going to meet people and have to talk and communicate with them out in the job market and communication is one of the most important skills you can learn. Now, am I saying go up to anyone at random and have the deepest most philosophical conversation you’ve had in your life? No, (but if you want to, go for it), but being able to be around people and communicate is a worthwhile skill to nurture and grow. Even if it’s difficult.
Carter – Surround yourself with people who are a good support system and encourage you to go out of your comfort zone and become better. These types of people can also help you to think in different ways and allow you to think through your own thoughts or opinions. My first year I had some friends who influenced me to prioritize things I shouldn’t have and weren’t the best support system. Being around those kinds of people drained me and that’s why I suggest you find people who energize and support you to succeed.
Get the Degree
Carter – Don’t let people pressure you into feeling like you have to go out and party to be cool and enjoy college. After all, the reason you are here is to get a degree, so if you are tired and want to sleep instead of partying until 3:00 a.m., then go sleep. Hopefully, then you can make it to your 8:00 a.m. class the next day. Which leads me to my next point. One of my close friends told me, “Skipping classes becomes a bad habit.” Since you are paying for college that means every time you skip a class you are essentially throwing away money. I don’t know about you, but I like my money. For those of you on big scholarships, just know you can lose some of that gift money through poor academic performance. In the end though you should want to go to class for yourself and your passion for a career in your field of study. Even the classes you hate or you’re just taking as a gen-ed are getting you one step closer to that goal. Plus, I don’t think you’d want to have to take an extra class after graduation just because you failed art appreciation.
Bonus: Lauren’s Guide to Dorm Etiquette
- Okay, hear me out. Moving the furniture around in the lounges is fine. But PLEASE, when you’re through with using the furniture, return it to how it was. We don’t need another war with the second and third floor stealing each other’s couches REPEATEDLY.
- If you make a mess in the hallway, please clean it up. Our cleaning staff is awesome and doesn’t deserve to have trash left in the hallways.
- Set some ground rules with your roommate; policies on room guests, if they’re allowed to use your appliances, if there will be any shared spaces in the room, things of that nature. The last thing you want is for your roommate to chew you out because they were uncomfortable with you constantly having your partner over.
- Don’t pee in the elevator. This shouldn’t be a problem… Seriously guys. We can’t have this happen again.
- Parties can be super fun but at a party make sure everyone is looking out for each other. Keeping everyone safe and having each other’s backs is extremely important. We’re a campus and a community, we want happy, but safe students. 😀
There’s definitely a lot more than what we’ve covered here, but that’s what college is for! You’ll learn the ins and outs as you live here and hopefully this can serve as a starting point of what to look for and how to get going.
Thanks for stopping by!
– Lauren and Carter
