10 Tips to Help You Thrive as a College Freshman
In the coming days, new classes of college freshmen will be launching into an exciting new chapter of education in universities across the United States. Even as freshmen navigate higher education on the other side of a pandemic, these coming days will consist of some of the most amazing and transformative experiences in life.
If you are one of those thousands of new college students, here’s some insight for you: Regardless of the year, your personality, introvert/extrovert make up, or your Enneagram number, starting college is a stressful event.
And you know what?
That’s okay.
Every woman and man that has launched into life as a college student has been a little bit scared, a good portion excited, and also filled with plenty of confusion. So you are in good company with your emotions and thoughts. You’ve got this.
To help you thrive as a college student, here are 10 (or so) tips to put into practice this first semester. They will help you make the most of your college experience and thrive as a young adult. Some of these were shared with me as I stepped onto my college’s campus over a decade ago, and some of them I learned through personal experience.
Here’s advice on how to thrive as a college freshman:
Make as many friends as you can in the first month. Once you get past the first few weeks of school, most people will have developed their friend groups and it gets a lot harder to meet new people. Instead, make as many friends as you can - regardless of if they end up in your close friend group or not. You are going to be on campus for several years, and having relationships with people across majors, across hobbies, and across the campus will be helpful in the semesters ahead.
Don’t wear headphones when you are walking across campus. This was told to me by a senior on my first day of class. He stopped me on my way to a morning class (wearing headphones because I needed some pump-up music to give me courage for the day) and told me that I’ll miss out on new friends and Jesus-moments if I’m always in my own head. Make space for others and you’ll be amazed at what can happen.
Join a club. Whether it’s an interest-based club, student ministry, sports team, student government, or choir, this is a great way to make the most of being a student on a college campus. Education is absolutely important - but on-campus learning provides the opportunity to engage in some amazing social activities.
Go to the start of the school year activities. Speaking of making the most of being a student on a college campus, go to the semester kickoff events that the school throws. Not only is there often free food, but they’re also an absolutely fun time.
Set rules of conduct (and chores) with your roommates. Living with other people can be a challenge, even if they are someone you knew before college. And, in fact, that sometimes makes it even harder. One way to help keep your friendship with your roommate(s) strong is to agree on the ground rules of living together at the start of the year. Things like: what to do with the lights when one roommate is asleep, who will do specific chores, bathroom habits and schedules, does anyone talk in their sleep, and who is a morning person and who is a night owl? Setting expectations at the beginning can help with any potential issues in the weeks ahead.
Learn the library. Now I say this as someone who rarely stepped foot into my college library until my junior year (seriously - one of the worst decisions of my college years), but the library can be your biggest tool to succeeding in your classes. The online and print resources available, the knowledge of the staff, and the dedicated spaces for deep work can all be instrumental to you passing your courses.
Get coffee with your professors. No matter how intimidating they may seem, I can promise you that your professors are there to help you learn - not to trick you into failing the class. They want you to succeed. So if you need help in a class, talk with the professor. And often, grabbing a meal or coffee with them can end up being a great way to learn about - and from - them.
Don’t stress about your major in your first semester of college. Plenty of people change their major multiple times throughout their time in college. If you are unsure about what you want to major in, talk with your advisor. Talk through your skills and passions and take your best guess. You can adjust as you go. Often, we don’t know enough about a major until we have taken a class or two in the program. Personally I went from double majoring in business and psychology to majoring in intercultural studies and psychology but then, as I started my senior year, decided to pursue a double major in intercultural studies and sociology with a minor in psychology.
Embrace the awkwardness. Freshman year is just plain awkward a lot of the time. You are figuring out relationships, classes, and adulthood with lots of other people doing the exact same thing. It’ll not always go according to plan. And that’s fine! Embrace it. Know the awkward is going to come and don’t let it ruin your day or your opinion of yourself. Try to make the most of it and be willing to laugh at yourself along the way.
Go to church your first Sunday at college. This was a challenge I got from my HS history teacher. He always challenged his students to go to church their first Sunday at college and then to email him and let him know. And that’s what I did (thank you Mr. Watt!!). One of the most important things you can do as you start your college career is to develop good habits, and joining a church family is the best habit possible. Real talk: it’s super easy to skip church. And it gets a lot harder to go to if you don’t go from the start. Having a church to call family at college can be one of the best support systems to have when college gets hard (and it definitely will get hard).
Those are 10 of the best tips I have for college freshmen as you start into an exciting new chapter of life. But let me give you one more piece of advice, what I think is the most important thought I can share with any college student. The one piece of advice I would give to 18-year-old Jeremy if I could go back in time:
Find community. Real community. People who live life together and live it authentically. Find it quickly and protect it.
Because here’s the thing, college is amazing. It can be the best 4-5 years of your life. But it also will be one of the hardest adventures you ever undertake. It will not be easy. And you can’t make it alone. You will need support, shoulders to cry on, and people who are willing to slap you across the face when you’re making terrible decisions (again, speaking to 18-year-old Jeremy here).
When friendships go south. When relationships end. When classes get overwhelming. When God’s voice seems absent. When loss and pain and sorrow surround you.
You will need a community (and specifically a faith community) to support you when life gets rough. So make that a top priority as you start your freshman year (or any year of college for that matter).
Beyond tips, I want to give you a few tools that I think can help you not only survive - but also thrive in your first year of college:
Streetlights Bible. Devotions, prayer, and time in God’s Word are hard to do when you jump into the excitement of college. So make it a priority. One of my favorite translations of the Bible is the Streetlights Bible. It’s an audio Bible (with amazing spoken word and music) that you can find online and through their app. It’s my favorite audio Bible. Check it out.
Another great tool to help you in your walk with God is She Reads Truth and He Reads Truth. They provide a ton of resources with emails, apps, social media, and devotions. They give a fresh look at this historic faith we are a part of.
Rocketbook. It’s my favorite notebook - and it’s reusable!
Deep Work by Cal Newport. One of the steepest learning curves in college is developing a better study/work habit. This book is a great teacher on how to work well.
Lastly, here are extra pieces of advice from a few of my friends:
“I was super shy so: Do new things. Step out of your comfort zone.”
“Don’t be ‘too cool’ for mom and dad - or the family that is home to you.”
“Try new things and be bold.”
“Learn about personal finances. Compound interest is your friend, especially as a young adult.”
“Be open to new experiences.”
“Make your bed every day. It helps on a bad day…also, do the 3AM trip to Waffle House (or: insert late night food establishment) with your friends. Make the memories.”
Hope this list of resources and advice helps you make the most of your freshman year at college.
Remember: You’ve got this.
