What to do when you start school
First-year students can take specific steps to make sure that they are successful in college.
The first step first-year students should take is to start the academic year well prepared. You have to know your way around in College, know which courses you will be attending and know which books are required for these courses. This is important because you will want to start the year off by focusing on the content of the courses without falling behind. This is crucial because in the beginning of the academic year the pace of the courses is rather slow but will speed up quite fast. And you do not want to do homework from week 1 in week 5 where you already have a lot of homework to do.
The second step first-year students should take is to completely focus on your school work. Which means that you attend all of your classes and do all of your homework. As the academic year progresses, you will know which classes you have to attend and which homework is relevant and which is not. It is also important to keep up with all the reading. Nothing is as horrible as reading 150 pages in 1 day. Studying in that way is not effective and will lead to a bad grade.
The last step first-year students should take is to ask a lot of questions. Gather as much information as possible. You meet a lot of new people in the first few weeks. Examples are your introduction moms and dads and older students. These people know how everything works. They have been where you are; they remember how it is to be a first-year student and therefore will be happy to help you. Teachers are great sources if there is something not clear about a course and your course mates can help you as well. Do not feel embarrassed to ask for help, it is far worse to have a question and to keep silent.
The first step first-year students should take is to start the academic year well prepared. You have to know your way around in College, know which courses you will be attending and know which books are required for these courses. This is important because you will want to start the year off by focusing on the content of the courses without falling behind. This is crucial because in the beginning of the academic year the pace of the courses is rather slow but will speed up quite fast. And you do not want to do homework from week 1 in week 5 where you already have a lot of homework to do.
The second step first-year students should take is to completely focus on your school work. Which means that you attend all of your classes and do all of your homework. As the academic year progresses, you will know which classes you have to attend and which homework is relevant and which is not. It is also important to keep up with all the reading. Nothing is as horrible as reading 150 pages in 1 day. Studying in that way is not effective and will lead to a bad grade.
The last step first-year students should take is to ask a lot of questions. Gather as much information as possible. You meet a lot of new people in the first few weeks. Examples are your introduction moms and dads and older students. These people know how everything works. They have been where you are; they remember how it is to be a first-year student and therefore will be happy to help you. Teachers are great sources if there is something not clear about a course and your course mates can help you as well. Do not feel embarrassed to ask for help, it is far worse to have a question and to keep silent.