Five Tips for First Time University Students

I know transitioning from high school to a four year university can seem overwhelming. I know when I was preparing to graduate from high school there were so many things that I had to do that I didn't even know where to start. In this post, I want to give you some tips that I learned to help ease the transition from high school student to university student. 

1.  Get to know your curriculum: Once you've decided what you want as your major, get to know the types of classes you'd have to take, especially for your first year. When I first started I didn't know anything about my curriculum until I went into orientation and had to make my schedule. Almost every major has a sample four year plan or course checklist that can help you figure out the classes you have to take each semester. That way you can plan ahead of time and not fall behind.
2. Make lists and checklists of everything you need to do: there are going to be a lot of things for you to do as you transition and it's best to organize yourself and make lists and notes. I made checklists for everything, from what I needed for my dorm to everything I needed to turn in to register for classes.
3. Get to know your school's website: Trust me the school website will be your best friend. I have all the different website bookmarked on my computer because every time I have a question the first place I look is the school's website. 
4. Take advantage of any friend's you may have that have already made the transition: When I was getting ready to go to South I asked all my older cousins and friends for advice and tips they had on what I needed to do to make my first year at university easier. Don't be afraid to ask people. I can assure you most of us are eager to share our experiences and knowledge on how to navigate college.
5. Get to know your campus: My biggest piece of advice is to get to know how your campus works. It is so important to get to know where all the buildings you will need are. I suggest you open your maps app on your phone and star/save the locations of all the buildings you'll need, like the student center, your class buildings, the library. That way when you're walking to class you can just follow the map and not be worried that you'll get lost. 

-Paola