Planning for, Beginning, and Succeeding in Your First Year of College
By Kelci Lynn, About.com Guide to College Life
Starting college? Not sure where to begin? Get answers on everything from knowing what to pack and contacting your roommate to learning how to manage your time and balance your finances.
- Making Sure You Have a Personal Life
- Keeping in Touch with Friends & Family at Home
- Keeping Yourself Healthy & Safe
Before You Arrive
Information, resources, and strategies about how to prepare yourself for a strong semester before you arrive on campus.
- The Ultimate Before-You-Arrive To-Do List
- Comprehensive College Packing List
- Choose the Best Meal Plan for Your Situation
- How to Conquer Your Freshman Fears
- Contacting Your Roommate for the First Time
- 5 Important Things to Know About Your Financial Aid Package
- What Exactly Is Assigned Summer Reading?
- Picking a Computer: Laptop or Desktop
Your First Few Weeks
Beginning with the (super fun!) craziness of Orientation, your first few weeks in school will fly by before you know it. Learn how to make the most of that critical time.
- Making Orientation a Success
- Easy Ways to Meet People in College
- 8 Tips for Students Just Starting College
- 10 Tips for a Great Roommate Relationship
- How to Pick Your Classes
- Finding a Good On-Campus Job
- Avoding the "Freshman 15"
- Is Greek Life Right for Me?
- Buying Used Books Online
Staying on Top of Your Coursework
While you may be having the time of your life in college, it's important to keep the end goal in mind: graduation. Staying on top of your academics ensures you'll have time for everything else you want to do while in school.
- Time Management Tips for College Students
- Finding True Academic Success
- Getting to Know Your Professors
- How Do I Pick a Major?
- The Skinny on Faculty-Ranking Websites
- Citation Resources for Your College Papers
Making Sure You Have a Personal Life
Balancing your time, classes, money, job, and eight million other responsibilities can make any college student feel like they have no life whatsoever. Keeping your personal life healthy and active, however, can be done with only a little strategic effort.
- Help! I Hate My Roommate
- How Do I Keep My Long-Distance Relationship?
- How to Tell If a College Crush Likes You Back
- How to Let a College Crush Know You Like 'Em
- Dealing with the "Thanksgiving Dump"
- Staying Connected to Your Religious Community
Keeping in Touch with Friends & Family at Home
Whether you're going to school across the country or attending classes across town, keeping your relationships up with your friends and family is always a challenge during the first year of school. While it can be a challenge, however, there are ways to keep in touch with the folks who loved and supported you before you officially became a college student.
- Homesickness 101: Am I Homesick?
- 5 Ways to Deal with Homesickness
- What to Expect During Your First Visit Home
- Keeping in Touch with Your Parents
- Keeping in Touch with Your Siblings
Keeping Yourself Healthy & Safe
Stress, safety issues, getting sick from all the germs in your residence hall: managing your health and safety in college can sometimes seem overwhelming. Luckily, however, it's not -- as long as you treat yourself to a little TLC every now and then.
