Tips for a Successful First Semester in College
August 21, 2024
Photo by Emily Paine, Communications
As your first semester of college approaches, you're likely wondering what it will entail and how you can make the most of the experience. Luckily, there are plenty of things you can do before and during your first semester to set yourself up for success.
Let's review 10 tips and tricks for how to prepare for a successful first semester of college.
1. Participate in Orientation
Most schools offer some sort of orientation program for incoming students, full of activities that can really help you get to know the school and your classmates.
In fact, some schools offer specialized programs even before their regular orientation to get students better prepared for the upcoming school year. This "pre-orientation" helps first-year students settle into university life and develop leadership skills that will benefit their college experience.
Don't just show up to your orientation, but actively participate. It will help you meet more people and discover all that your campus has to offer.
2. Don't Take Too Many Classes
Hard work and ambition are good but don't overdo it by overloading your class schedule right off the bat. You'll be getting used to more advanced classes and adjusting to life away from home, so it's good to give yourself a little breathing room.
Most schools consider 12 credits a full-time schedule, but most four-year degrees can be accomplished on time by taking 15 credits each semester. Keep in mind that the recommended number of credits per semester will vary by institution.
3. Meet with Your Academic Advisor
Getting to know your academic advisor early on is huge for several reasons. It gives you a clear vision of what the curriculum for your major will entail and you can be more strategic with your course selections.
Setting up a meeting in your first couple of months on campus will give you the opportunity to get familiar with the system before it's time to build your schedule for the next semester. At Bucknell, meeting your advisor will be among the first things you do during New Student Orientation. Plus, forming a connection with your advisor has similar perks to connecting with your professors in the sense that it can lead to more opportunities.
4. Get to Know Your Professors
Your professors can be an excellent resource throughout your college career, so getting to know them better can be a good idea. Attend office hours, actively participate in class, communicate any questions you may have and so forth.
Often, that's how students find opportunities that transform their college experience and define their future careers. A professor who runs a research group might invite you to join if they know you have a similar academic interest. But you have to put yourself out there first.
Another plus of getting to know your professors is that you have someone to call on if you need a letter of recommendation down the line or if you need a faculty member to co-sign an initiative you're starting on campus.
5. Get Organized
At the beginning of the semester, each professor will give you a syllabus that outlines the tasks and assignments for the semester. It's a good idea to get yourself a planner or utilize tools like Google Calendar to add upcoming deadlines, activities and events.
With a planner, you get a visual of everything you have to do in terms of when it is due. This helps to keep you organized so that deadlines don't creep up on you.
Tools like Google Calendar make tracking deadlines and scheduling events super easy. However, some students love the simplicity of a classic planner.
6. Boost Your Reading Skills
College involves a ton of reading. That's why it's so important to improve your reading skills ahead of your first semester.
Remember the summer reading assignments you did in grade school? Consider doing some summer reading leading up to the start of your first semester to strengthen your reading skills.
Any sort of book that you're interested in will do, no matter if it's fiction or nonfiction. Reading helps build the skills and habits that will foster stronger reading comprehension when it comes time to complete reading assignments in the fall. Some institutions have required reading leading up to the first semester of school.
7. Find a Friend in Each Class
Connecting with other students in your class is another great way to set yourself up for success. When you make friends in each class, you always have someone to swap notes and study with. This comes in handy if you're out sick one day and you want to know what you missed.
If you're taking any prerequisites for your major, connecting with other students in your classes is particularly valuable because you'll likely be running into them again and again throughout your college career.
8. Budget and Manage Your Money
Following a budget is key in college, and luckily, this sort of tool is pretty easy to set up with a spreadsheet, notebook or budgeting app.
Account for your income from a job, allowance, loan or scholarship stipend, and track any expenses you may have — such as textbooks, laundry and those all-important dining dollars. Break down your essential expenses to see the real cost of each, and figure out how much you can spend on extra things.
9. Prioritize Self-Care
Part of setting yourself up for a successful first semester is taking care of your mental and physical well-being. Here are a few habits you can incorporate:
- Exercise regularly at your on-campus gym
- Eating healthy (with support from your school's dietician, if you'd like)
- Get enough sleep
- Stay hydrated
- Make time for yourself
These are little things that can go a long way to keep your body and mind functioning at their best.
10. Have Fun!
You're at college to learn, but you're also there to have a good time. Let yourself indulge in the things you enjoy, and have some fun.
It may sound cliche, but time on campus will fly by. Make the most of your college years so that when you look back in a decade or two, your memories will be fond ones.
Check out some of our additional resources for incoming first-year students:
