What I’ve Learned From My First Year of College at UGA

The first year of college isn’t easy. It’s full of making new changes, adjusting to new routines, and getting used to breaking old habits and forming new ones. As a sophomore who just finished up her first year of college, I have dozens of tips and important things I’ve learned from living on campus. 

No Early Classes

One of my greatest pieces of advice I could ever give a college student is to never schedule an early class, especially 8 or 9 am classes. Classes are not usually mandatory attendance, but even then, why miss classes you’re paying tuition money for? You don’t want to fall behind. So another thing – limit the amount of classes you skip. Once you fall into a routine of skipping, you won’t stop. To ensure you don’t begin an unhealthy routine of skipping classes, schedule classes at normal times where you don’t need to wake up at the crack of dawn and head down to class before the sun even rises. This will help you get the right amount of sleep needed, which helps you avoid napping all day, skipping all of your other classes. as well. 

Water, Water, Water

From experience, your eating habits will be turned completely upside down your first year of college. You’ll be living in a dorm where cooking is almost always out of the question, and are forced to eat at whatever nearby dining hall is open and accessible. When you’re not properly fueling your body, it becomes difficult to function, sleep correctly, and submit school assignments on time. Make it a priority to drink tons of water every day. Set a reminder to go off every hour to drink a few sips of water – something is better than nothing! You’ll also learn that your skin takes a toll because of the change in environment and drinking lots of water helps your skin to bounce back. 

Practice Time Management

In college, it’s tempting to spend all day and night with your roommate and dorm friends rather than going to classes or spending your evenings studying. While it is important to enjoy the social aspect of college and not lock yourself in the library 24/7, don’t let that take up all of your time. Learn to split your time between having fun and studying. Something that I always liked to do is come back to my dorm or head to the library right after class and work on homework or study until it’s time for my next class. I do this during each break between classes, only stopping to eat. Then, after classes are done, I have also completed all the homework I need to, and my evenings are free to have fun. 

Your Interests will Change

You may come into college thinking you hope to take classes on the pre-law track and then completely switch majors halfway through to business. This is completely normal! As you take different classes and join different organizations, you learn what works for you and what interests best suit you. Branch out and try to join different clubs and societies, even if they may not seem like the most interesting to you. Don’t just follow your friends and do what they do. Branch out on your own; some of your closest friends will come from opportunities like this!

Be Prepared for Anything

College is an unpredictable time – truly anything can happen in your four years at a brand new university away from home. Prepare to get sick almost every other week of your freshman year, and keep medicines on hand. Prepare to have some weeks where you have too much free time, and other weeks where you don’t have a second to breathe. Prepare for outrageous weather and being forced to trudge through campus rain or shine. Know that you need to be open and welcoming to this new change and new period in your life, and you will learn to love college and finish you freshman year successfully!