It's official!

[Primer]

Three days a week, I have one class a day. The other two, I have four classes, but two are close together, then time, then two more close together. I made sure it equals 15 credits, as they advised me to do.

I'm going to join the Track and Field team, mainly as shot putter, but I will dabble in javelin.

That's 5 classes, plus T&F. I hope you are NOT going to try to work, also! I also hope that you are talking about the fall semester, and not a summer session.

First semester in college is going to be killer, especially at a University. Too many universities use freshman level classes as "flunk-out" classes. I taught ONE semester at a local university where they told me to "...go in, give your lecture, and flunk 'em out. They'll be back next semester with more money." Needless to say, I did not teach a second semester there. I transferred to a college where I was allowed, and encouraged, to TEACH my students! Where I still am, 20 years later!

Anyway, since you are majoring in a writing intensive subject, you must be okay with churning out papers. That's a good thing. I'm sure you will also be taking a foreign language course, and a math course. Approach math as another foreign language, which it really is. You will need to put in time every day to reinforce the vocabulary and "grammar rules" of math.

Do all the homework assigned, and even more if you are still having any difficulties. Repetition is what beats it in. Practice, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!

Learn the steps--learn to apply the steps. Don't always insist on understanding the "Why" behind what you do. Sometimes the only "why" is that that's just what the rule is. Learn the "How" and the "why" will come later.

I am still newly seeing some of the "whys" behind some of the things I learned 25 years ago, and it keeps me interested and amazed, even now.

If you are having any difficulties with anything, GET HELP EARLY. Don't let stuff snowball. Ask the teacher, ask tutors, ask classmates, but be sure to get your questions answered!

Don't be afraid to ask questions in class. Frequently other students will have the same questions but will not know how to phrase them, or they will be too intimidated to ask. SPEAK UP!

Dang, can you tell that I've been doing this for a long time! I just gave you the gist of my first-day lecture!

Good luck! You can do it!!

[McGoddess09]

Primer, I won't be having a job my first semester. My second semester, I hope to get a job at the library, where I can I get my homework done when I'm not checking books out for people. My aunt worked there and it is the same librarian she worked for. I will not be taking a foreign language. I took four years of Spanish, which is way more than enough for where I'm going, which requires two years with at least a C. So that leaves my schedule open for other classes.

[BookstoreEscapee]

On classes: Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it. The professor, a classmate who seems to have a better grasp of the material, the campus tutoring center (I would assume there is one - at my school, if you did well in a class and were willing, the professor would give your name to the Learning Center; if someone came in needing help, they could usually find someone who had gotten an A in that specific class, with that professor). On the flip side, if you're doing well but you see someone else is struggling, offering help is a great way to make friends.

When writing papers, save every five seconds. Seriously. Okay, maybe every 30 seconds. Though that doesn't help when your computer eats its own hard drive. So print a draft for good measure. That would have helped...

On roommates (assuming you can't choose/don't already know your roommate, and even if you can): If something's bothering you, speak up and clear the air. Encourage her to do the same. My first roommate and I got along fine at first, but as we got more settled in and better able to be ourselves, we pretty much devolved into silent rage. Cuz we hated each other. Hopefully you can be friends but if not, pleasant coexistence is much better than dreading every time you have to go back to your room. If something comes up that's bigger than you can work out on your own, that's what the RA and the housing folks are there for (I was able to switch roommates after the first semester, but that was only because other people on the hall were as miserable together as we were and we were able to play musical rooms. Barring dire circumstances, you probably won't be able to move so easily mid-year. So keep the lines of communication open.)

Don't forget to eat healthy stuff. You can't exist on pizza all the time. (sadly...)

Have fun!