7 Tips to Settle in at College

7 Tips to Settle in at College Tips From an Orange County College Tutor: How to Settle in at College Tips From an Orange County College Tutor: How to Settle in at College Freshmen are just starting to settle in on campus and are figuring out what’s working and what’s not. There are so many things that new college students have to deal with and it’s important to be able to focus on academics. There are a few things that freshmen can do to start adjusting. 1 Make yourself comfortable Dorms are not nearly as nice as the comfort of home but most new college students live in them anyways. It’s important for students to have as much comfort as possible when settling in to the college environment. In addition to making their room nicer, students should make sure they have comfortable clothes and shoes that are appropriate for the season. Freshmen will have plenty of walking to do during their first year so they should consider practicalities over fashion. 2 Create an excellent note-taking system University-level courses are entirely overwhelming and totally different than high school courses. It’s very easy to get confused and forget which notes went with which topics or assignments. Students who are highly organized are more likely to keep assignments separate and recall which items are due for which course. Note-taking is a huge part of the college experience and, whether typed on a tablet or written on paper, it’s essential to success (READ: 5 Things to Consider if you are Applying to Graduate Schools). 3 Squeeze in study time During the first year of college, most students have yet to find how best to fill all of those free minutes in between classes. Although it’s important to make new friends and explore campus, especially in the beginning, students can use those valuable minutes here and there as part of their study routine. A half hour here and 90 minutes there can make a big difference when it comes to getting important assignments completed on time. 4 Make study-minded friends One of the best ways to get distracted during the first term at college is to make friends who don’t value academics and learning. Regardless of your particular major, it’s a great idea to make friends with other students who want to perform well in classes and spend free time studying. When students join a study group or even just hang around with responsible peers, they are more likely to value their own education and make it through the first year without any problems. 5 Think minimalist Clutter isn’t in any way helpful when it comes to adjusting to college life. Whether a student has piles of stuff lying around the dorm room or an overloaded back pack, tons of extra stuff can be a huge distraction. It’s better for new students to think minimalist and streamline their lifestyle. If students can get themselves organized, they have a better chance of focusing on assignments and avoiding unnecessary distraction. 6 Share responsibilities Once freshmen have met peers who are focused on education, they can start sharing responsibilities. Study skills and organization are a lot easier to accomplish when shared. New students are encouraged to work as a team and figure out who has skills in particular areas. Many students feel the need to go it alone and this can be detrimental to their academic life as well as their general well being. Sharing responsibilities can make college life easier overall. 7 Join a social club or organization One of the biggest non-academic issues when starting college is adjusting to a new social life. Most students have had the same close friends for at least four years and they are now in a situation where they have to make a whole new group of friends almost overnight. Although all students are in the same situation, not everyone will have an easy time of it. One of the best ways to meet friends with shared interests is to join a social club on campus. Students will basically have a dozen new acquaintances in a matter of hours (READ: 5 Ways to Transition Back to College). In Short Although adjusting to college life is one of the biggest changes young people will ever make, there are several things they can do to make the transition easier. Whether they are dealing with academic or social issues, students are better off in the company of peers than to try to achieve everything on their own. Start the academic year off strong with the help of an Orange County private college tutor. Call us for details! All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.