What are important things every college freshman needs to know?
The thought of college can be overwhelming to many prospective students. It is helpful to get college advice from an upperclassman before diving into your first semester.
My name is Grace Lappenga, and I’m a junior Media & Entertainment Industries and Public Relations double-major at Belmont University. I’m originally from Holland, Michigan, but I’ve loved getting to be in Nashville the past 2 ½ years. Throughout my experience at Belmont, I’ve had some incredible learning opportunities and grown so much as a person. I’ve collected some advice and important things for college students to know.
Advice for College Students
The transition to college can be overwhelming, and it can be tough to know where to begin. Getting some advice from students who have made the transition before can be a great way to begin framing your college experience.
Below are some things I wish I knew before I started college.
College Goals: Get Involved
Clubs and extracurriculars are critical to finding a community and home on campus. One thing every college freshman needs to know is to try out a bunch of different activities and stick with what you love the most!
Belmont University hosts an annual Bruin Link Fair, where clubs set up tables around campus and welcome new students to get involved and connected within their groups. For more information, check out the Office of Student Engagement.
College Advice for Taking Care of Your Mental Health
Transitioning into college can be challenging, but universities provide resources to students to make this a little easier. Belmont’s counseling services office offers one-on-one counseling sessions with licensed counselors.
More advice to high school seniors going into college would be to download TimelyCare, a free app that provides 24/7 mental health services to students by licensed professionals with coverage in all 50 states.
Important Things for College Students to Know: Build Connections Through Class
There are endless opportunities to find friends in a college setting. In my opinion, one of the most underrated friendship opportunities is class! Having connections within your major is helpful for homework assignments, group projects and forming networking connections that may be useful later on in your job search and professional life.
College Goals: Manage Your Time Wisely
Something that can help you manage your time would be to find a paper planner or online calendar to help you track assignments, events, classes and social plans. I enjoy using Google Calendar and Google Keep to track my responsibilities, but I know others that use Notion, Excel or paper planners and calendars.
Aside from managing your calendar, you will learn to manage your time strategically. If you notice that you are consistently bored or have too much free time on your hands, try getting involved in a club or organization on campus! If you are overwhelmed with events, you may have to create a plan to get all your homework completed.
Goals for College Students
It is very helpful to set goals for your time in college. It can help you visualize how you want your future to look, and will help you grow, both as a student and as a person. Below are ways to set college goals and things to remember when planning your college experience.
Advice for high school seniors going to college: Celebrate Milestones
In college, it can become easy to get bogged down by assignments and projects and not take time to acknowledge big accomplishments. Remember to celebrate your wins, like getting a good grade on a test or getting a leadership position in a club.
College Advice: Be Curious and Explore
Try new things! College is a time meant for personal growth and exploration. If you can, take an elective outside of your typical course of study to try a new discipline.
The BELL Core curriculum is a great opportunity to study something new. Every student at Belmont will take classes to fulfill their general education credits. Some of these categories include fine arts, lab science, wellness and humanities courses. This means that even if you study chemistry, you could take a Theater Experience class as well!
Set College Goals, but Be Flexible
Take some time to think about what you want your college experience to look like. Is having a leadership position on campus important to you? Are academics your first priority? Do you want to have an internship during your time in college? These goals can help shape your decisions, starting your first semester. Goals help guide how you spend your time, your energy and your focus.
If you don’t meet the goals, have grace with yourself. Plans may change at some point, and your goals will change with them. You have plenty of time to accomplish what you want to do in life, including after college.
Advice for High School Seniors Going to College
There are a few things that every college freshman needs to know. While some things can only be learned through time and experience, it’s helpful to feel prepared before starting your college journey.
Learn Basic Life Skills
Seemingly unimportant skills like knowing how to do your laundry, clean a dorm room and taking care of your car will be crucial to know in college. You may potentially be living independently from your family for the first time, so it's important to learn from them while you are all in the same place. Ask the “silly” practical questions that you’ve never bothered to ask before, and you may just learn something new.
Check out some other college life hacks!
Prepare to level-up in academics
Your teachers in high school may tell you this all the time, but be prepared to level-up academically. In my experience, the content of the courses isn’t what gets exponentially more difficult, especially if you have experience in AP or IB courses, but it is the difficulty of time management and homework. You’ll be busy in college, so figuring out how to properly study and manage your time contributes to the increase in academic difficulty. But don’t worry- you will figure it out! There’s a learning curve, but don’t let that scare you.
College will have resources to help you academically. Here at Belmont, we have Learning Centers, where you can find study groups, individual tutoring and many more resources.
Learn more about bridging the academic preparedness gap here!
Common Questions from Seniors Going to College
Still have questions? We have answers. Check out our FAQ below.
Can I change my major in college?
Yes, you can almost always change your major in college. At Belmont, we have GPS, the office of Growth & Purpose for Students. They can help you plan your course of study and find classes that fit your career goals. Something unique about Belmont is that students are able to take major-specific classes starting the first semester of their freshman year. This leaves plenty of time for plans to change if you don’t enjoy what you first start studying.
Depending on your career goals, you could also explore double-majoring or double-minoring. This worked well for me, but it doesn’t fit in all areas of study. For more information, contact your admissions counselor.
What does every college freshman need?
What you bring to college depends on the person. My advice would be to make a running list early on in the summer that includes every single thing you want to remember to buy and pack. Take into account the clubs you may want to join, and the interests you want to pursue in the future. There are also many comprehensive packing lists available online, if you need a place to start.
One thing every college freshman needs to know is that the things you think you’ll need in college may not be what you’ll end up using. There may be items or clothing that you pack that you’re sure you’ll use all the time, that you actually end up forgetting about! Be open to new experiences and welcoming change as your college experience continues.
What is a piece of advice for graduating seniors?
My advice to high school seniors in their last months before graduation would be to seek out college advice. Learn as much as you can about your college, your future course of study, and opportunities you might be interested in for the fall. This way, you’ll feel equipped and ready to take on college when you land on campus in the fall.
Ready for college? Explore Belmont University today.
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