College is a new life experience and it is likely that freshmen students will end up making mistakes during the first year. Students are experiencing a new sense of freedom and with this can come some challenges. In this blog, I will discuss some common mistakes that freshmen can make and how to prevent them.
College is not an extension of high school and some first year students have trouble adjusting to the new academic demands. Students may need to develop new study habits that allow for more time spent studying. Freshmen will find many academic resources that are available to them. Professors maintain office hours; writing centers will be on campus as well as tutors and study skills centers. There are generally more supportive services offered at a private college than at a public institution. It will be up to the student to seek assistance, as these resources are readily available. Students will be assigned an academic advisor who is accessible to them. This person offers academic counseling and insight into possible major choices.
Freshmen will be balancing their budgets while away from home. They may try to save some money by not purchasing all books for their required courses. Students should buy the books for all courses; this isn’t an expense to try to save on. Students can check with friends or on the internet for used books.
Students will be choosing their course schedules and offerings. Freshmen shouldn’t register for an overload of courses during their first year. A successful first year should include 12-14 hours during the first semester. Adjusting to the academic side of college can take some time; this is an area where the academic counselor can offer assistance.
Most students come to campus with a laptop and there are computers labs on campus for access. Freshmen should read and pay attention to their college email account, as many professors will utilize email for effective communication. Many college wide messages are also sent via email.
Some freshmen students choose to work whether it is on campus or off. A balance must be struck between coursework and paid work. For first year students, twenty hours would be the recommended maximum hours that should be worked in a week. Freshmen students will need to work on enhancing their time management skills. Students will find themselves having a great deal of free time that will be filled with many new responsibilities.
New challenges will bring new responsibilities. College is a place to learn and to grow. Those who are successful will create a healthy balance between the academic side and the social side of college. College is what you make of it. Students should recognize college as an investment that will provide valuable return on their future.
In next week’s blog, I will outline additional mistakes that freshman can make and I will also offer suggested interventions.

