Survival Tips for Incoming College Freshmen

Chances are in high school the temptation was much lower to hop from party to party all night during the week or carry the football tailgate clear into Sunday night. Everyone should enjoy themselves outside of school during their time there -- just keep in mind that if you plan to do so, those early classes may start coming very early, and the last thing you want is to fall into the trap of sleeping through your alarm every day.

Figure Out Professors' Expectations

Once the time rolls around to actually jump into the semester, it's vital to know what each professor expects of you. As we rely more on technology, the traditional paper syllabus and worksheets that used to outline the course schedule and objectives are disappearing. These days, professors have information online, and some universities have their own site for students to log in and see updates in coursework and schedule changes.

The professor will expect you to keep up with this information and turn in assignments when they're due. Your parents won't be able to watch over you and make sure you're getting the work done, and professors won't call home to let them know you haven't been coming to class or turning assignments in. You're going to need to make sure you stay motivated and organized in order to juggle the course load.

Again, there are thousands of other students along with you trying to figure everything out, so get to know them. Set up study groups around exam time and swap class notes to fill in any holes you might have. Also, make use of your professors outside of class time. Their job is to help the students, and believe it or not, they might enjoy getting to know those in their class.