12 tips for college freshmen

1. Get to know your university better before September 1st

Typically, a university building is much larger than a school building, so finding the right audience the first time can be difficult. Especially when the building is old and with a long chain of corridors. Or a university has several buildings: additional difficulties may arise if they also have an internal division, for example, there are buildings 2, 2b, 2c. The names of classrooms in different buildings may be the same, so carefully check in the schedule not only the office number, but also the number of the building in which it is located.

Find classrooms in advance where you will have classes on the first day of school. It will be a shame to get lost and be late right at the start.

Be sure to check where the dean's office is located - the organizational center of your faculty. You can contact there for any question regarding your studies. And there is usually a board somewhere nearby with important announcements, offers for a part-time job and a schedule.

2. Know your schedule. At university you will have two

The schedule in universities differs markedly from the school one. At least by the fact that training is divided into weeks: even and odd. The schedule is different depending on this - be careful.

Also, don't confuse lectures and seminars. In the first, the teacher tells some topic, in the second, students are already speaking: they share their homework: Answer questions, show reports and presentations.

The first couples on different days may be in different buildings. This also needs to be monitored.

An obvious life hack that not everyone comes to mind: in order not to forget the schedule, take a photo of it, rewrite in a notebook, take a note on your phone, or add the start time of pairs to the calendar on smartphone.

3. Don't forget about non-core disciplines

If you humanities and dreamed of getting out of school as soon as possible so that we would never hear about mathematics again, we have bad news for you. Techies who want to forget about Russian lessons forever are for you too.

General education disciplines must be included in the schedule of all faculties. For example, physical education, philosophy, psychology, concepts of modern natural science, economic theory, Russian language.

It's important to visit them, even if you don't like couples. Absenteeism and disregard can negatively affect your grades and overall performance. After all, you still have to hand over these subjects at the session. This is especially important for those who receive a scholarship or plan to transfer to the budget. So, postponed to the next semester, working off missed lessons physical education will come out sideways for you.

Go to non-core couples and be active: ask questions, answer at seminars. Perhaps for this you will be given a test or an exam automatically.

If general education subjects make you bored, try changing your attitude towards them. Consider these disciplines as a way to broaden your horizons and become more erudite. And physical education, for example, is like free classes with a trainer. And remember that this is temporary: usually such subjects are taught in the first years, and then the schedule of 90 percent consists of core disciplines.

4. Couples and homework are your concern

Another obvious truth, the neglect of which leads to sad consequences. Nobody cares about the progress of students, unlike schoolchildren, since this a responsibility yours, not teachers: you study badly and you are absent - expect deductions.

If possible, attend all lectures, ask questions, prepare for seminars and complete term papers and semester papers on time. This will increase your chances of passing or exam automatically. And today it is easier to get access to all the necessary literature than 20 years ago, when the Internet was not so widespread and you had to “live” in a library.

5. Take notes, but do not try to write lectures verbatim

It's not a good idea to come to a lecture and be bored for two academic hours, staring at the ceiling. In these sessions, trainers provide information to help you prepare for a seminar or session. Therefore, it is important to write it down. And no, it is not always in some one textbook that you can easily read a couple of days before the exam. That is why it is in your best interest to attend lectures. So you can not only take notes, but also to record the information on a dictaphone or ask the teacher again if something is not clear.

Some teachers are not allowed to pass the exam or test without notes in a notebook or laptop.

Usually, teachers speak quickly in lectures and do not repeat the same idea several times. To keep up with taking notes, use abbreviations, for example:

• Abbreviation symbols: => (hence), ≈ (about), = (equal, same).
• Letter abbreviations: f (function), t (time). If the topic of the lecture, for example, the rule of law, write instead of this combination PG.

Do not count on taking notes write off from one of the classmates. Sometimes, abbreviations make students' notes difficult to decipher even by themselves.

6. Chat with classmates

This is a great school of life: in the future, you will need to interact and negotiate with different people. In addition, at the university there are often collective tasks that are much easier to complete with those with whom you have established contact. Try to be friendly with everyone, but do not tolerate bullying and unpleasant people - safely bypass them: there will be no benefit or positive emotions from this communication.

Take contact telephones from the head of the group and responsible students. This can come in handy: if you get lost and don't find an audience, or if you're out a couple and need to learn your homework.

7. Switch from study to good rest

The university has a huge selection of classes. These are clubs, for example, a discussion or business club, scientific communities, their own KVN team, sports teams. You can find out what interesting the university offers in the Department for extracurricular work.

You can also go to parties with classmates or to nightclubs, bars, pubs. The main thing is not to make such evenings the norm and try not to come off if you have a seminar tomorrow at eight in the morning. Coming to class with fumes is a failed idea.

8. Don't give too much importance to horror stories about teachers

Older students often share stories about educators with freshmen. "At Marya Petrovna exam you can pass only the third time "," Ivan Vasilyevich always chooses a couple of favorites, and knocks down the rest "," Kira Semyonovna is so cool, you can get a test from her without even getting ready. " You don't need to believe in this and set yourself up for bad (or good) in advance, thinking that nothing depends on your efforts.

But you can listen to general useful advice. For example, "Vasily Vasilich likes to ask clarifying questions", "Agafya Arkadyevna strictly keeps records attendance, but Irina Petrovna poorly remembers students by sight - a couple of classes can be skip".

9. Do not seek to sit behind your backs

If you come to an empty or half-empty auditorium, do not run to the back desks. Teachers don't like such students. They may think that you sat down there to chat, take a nap on your smartphone, or sleep.

Front desks are optional. If you don't want to be active and be in direct contact with the teacher, sit in the middle. This is the perfect place to be smart and lazy.

Ask questions, try to be remembered teacher - they often favor those who were more active and visible, and not the most brilliant. If you are very smart, but sit quietly, the teacher may simply not know about your outstanding talents.

10. Keep track of your budget

A student's income can consist of pocket money given to him by his parents, scholarships, and a salary he receives from a part-time job. These funds will be spent on public transport, meals, clothing, entertainment. And if a student lives separately from his parents, then the rent or dormitory fee may also be added to the expenses.

It is convenient to keep track of your budget in a notebook, notes or special applications on your smartphone.

Students can save money on many things. Be sure to check which privileges you are supposed to. For example, a public transport pass, discounts in museums, cafes, clothing stores.

11. Observe the daily routine

Lack of sleepHere’s What Happens When You Don’t Get Enough Sleep, no breaksBrief diversions vastly improve focus, researchers find, wrong dietWhat You Eat Affects Your Productivity lead to decreased productivity, poor brain function and other problems. Therefore, you do not need to study around the clock and stay awake for several nights.

Strong coffeeCaffeine: How much is too much? or energy drinksWhat really happens to your body 24 hours after drinking a can of Red Bull you will not be saved from the regular lack of rest. The human body gets used to the dose of caffeine within a week and stops responding to it. In general, you can drink coffee for energy, the main thing - no more than four cups a day.

12. Put knowledge into practice and take advantage of opportunities

If you have time, look for specialized practices and internships already during your studies. It will help you create a professional portfolio and make it easier to find a job. after university.

You can look for a part-time job not only on the Internet. Contact your specialized department or the trade union committee - a student association, which is in every university.

The trade union committee can also help to find a place for summer practice, get into a volunteer organization, apply for a scholarship.

Many universities also have international agreements with foreign universities. Students can go to study there for a semester or two. You need to submit an application and pass the intra-university selection. Good academic performance and class attendance will help you again.

Also, the university often helps students to get international internships, take short educational programs or summer internships abroad, for example, through Work and Travel. You can learn more about such options in the International Cooperation Department.