College - Week 01 - What to do?

College – Week 1 – What to do? (by Bryan Tan)

Do you want your first week of college to be the beginning of a great year? If you do, here are the 10 must-dos during the first week of college.

10) Buy your books – You have to buy all the textbooks you need right away as the lecturers will probably start giving reading assignments or homework during the first week of college.

9) Bring everything necessary – Textbooks, notebooks, foolscap papers, stationeries, laptop… Bring everything you need. (Refer to 10 Items to Survive College)

8) Know where your classrooms are – The campus is huge and there are many classrooms and lecture halls. Make sure you know where your classrooms are. Go to college early on the first day and find out where they are. Remember, do not be late. Being late on the first day isn’t a great way to begin college.

7) Avoid getting lost on campus – During the first few days of college, you are still a little unsure where everything is. Therefore, you might get lost on campus. You wouldn’t want that to happen, would you? So, what you can do is spend some time and walk around to find out where everything is located before your classes begin. That will help you to avoid getting lost on campus.

6) Make friends – Get to know your classmates/college mates. Make friends with them. You might need their help in time to come. Besides, having friends in your class makes it easier when you are trying to look for group members for group assignments or group presentations. A college life without friends would definitely be the last thing you want.

5) Look for a study spot – There are many places in college where you can study alone quietly without any disturbance. Choose a spot. It can be in the library, in the corner of an empty lecture hall, under a shady tree or somewhere else entirely. Remember, choosing a quiet place allows you to study better.

4) Check your schedule – Don’t forget to check your class schedule or timetable before classes start and bring all the books you will need. Although textbooks are not really necessary in classes (handouts or other materials will be given), you should still bring them for your own reference.

3) Attend all classes – Some students think that real lessons won’t begin during the first few days of college and will choose to skip classes, but the fact is most lecturers will begin teaching on the very first day after making brief introduction on the course or the subject. If you miss the first few classes, not only will you lose attendance marks (yes, attendance marks are given in most colleges), but you will also fall behind and have a hard time keeping up. So, do attend all classes starting on the first day.

2) Fill in your calendar – Once you have been told by your lecturers about doing presentations or assignments, deadlines will be given. Fill the major deadlines in your calendar to make sure you won’t turn in your assignments late. You can also fill the exam dates in the calendar so that you won’t forget about them. Knowing where all of them are helps you to allocate/manage your time effectively.

1) Plan well – You can spend time going out with your college friends, but you need to manage your time well in order to have a balance college life. You should spend 70% of your time to study and 30% to play and hang out with friends. If your play time is longer than your study time, chances are you won’t be able to get good grades in college. Without good grades, you are not likely to enter your university of choice. So, allocate your time wisely to find a balance between studies and play time.

Follow these tips, and I can ensure you that your first week of college will certainly be the beginning of a great year!