Being a freshman can be tough. To survive the first year of university, read this guide and follow its suggestions.
Steps
Method 1 of 10: Sign up
Step 1. Make sure you have all documents in order to actually attend classes
Step 2. Find out if you have to pay the tuition or if it will be covered entirely by the scholarship
You need to know how much the total is and when it is to be paid (or tell your parents). Check that you have entered the correct data when registering and applying for the scholarship.
Step 3. Decide how to organize your meals
To do this, there are various factors to consider:
- Will you have a kitchen?
- Do you have the right budget to eat out?
- Do you have the possibility to request a card for the canteen? Remember this is a great place to interact with other students.
- You have breakfast?
- Will you be able to eat at other places beyond the university canteen?
Step 4. Find out about the opening and closing of registrations
In most universities it is possible to enroll between July-August and September-October.
Step 5. Find out about the organization of the degree course and the orientation you prefer
Typically you will need to take mandatory courses and only pick a few on your own.
Method 2 of 10: Fitness and Personal Care
Step 1. Now that you live alone, be careful not to binge and eat only junk
It's nice to decide on your own what you will eat and when, but try not to overdo it.
Step 2. Be active
You can do aerobic exercise at the gym three times a week, sign up for a water aerobics class, or try to rejuvenate with yoga. Either way, getting around is good for your mind and body. Endorphins released during exercise help you manage stress.
Step 3. Don't overdo the caffeine and energy drinks
They are addictive and can cause your energy to crash after drinking them.
Step 4. Prepare yourself for the climate of the city in which you will live
Check before you leave to find out if you will need extra warm clothes or a raincoat.
Method 3 of 10: Living at the Student House or in a Rented Room
Step 1. If you are going to share a room with another person, get to know them
Be kind and considerate of her, but don't act like a doormat. If you have a problem, don't be afraid to talk about it, but think carefully about how you will do it. It is more constructive to speak in the first person, for example saying “I can't sleep when the music is too loud. Could you put your headphones on after midnight?”.
Step 2. Determine ground rules
If you decide early on what is acceptable and what is wrong, you will avoid finding yourself having to resolve conflicts later. What should you discuss?
- Various music and noises. If you have very different musical tastes, you can alternate or resort to headphones. Set the times when you need to be silent and when you can turn on the stereo and turn up the volume. Example: Roommate A likes to sing Disney cartoon songs aloud. Roommate B can't stand it. Determine a time when A can give free rein to the vocal cords and sing the songs of the "Little Mermaid" or "Beauty and the Beast". In the event that one of the two is particularly sensitive to noise, it is better to opt for earplugs. The other person shouldn't always walk on eggs.
- Visits. Are you willing to tolerate platonic sleepovers? And those not so platonic? Establish rules for nighttime visits before you find yourself in a concrete situation. This will help you avoid various embarrassments. Agree in advance; for example, when one of the two has visitors, he can put up a sign on the door or send another type of message.
- Parties. Immediately decide what is good and what should be avoided. Maybe you have no problem when your roommate invites friends over for a beer, maybe you like to throw parties every weekend or maybe you hate chaos and don't want illegal substances to enter the place where you live. Either way, if the other person sees it differently, you'll need to be willing to compromise. It's not fair to ban her from inviting people into her space, but on the other hand, it's also not fair for your room to be occupied by drunk people if that makes you uncomfortable.
Step 3. Clean the room
Personal preferences may differ, but it is important to respect your roommate and basic hygiene rules.
Step 4. Keep an eye on your stuff
Especially when doing laundry or sharing the refrigerator. In these cases it is possible to lose something. This depends on several variables: where you live, with whom, etc. In general, however, it is better to use a lock for the bicycle and not lose sight of the laptop. Ask older students for advice.
Step 5. Don't be afraid to ask for help
Typically, student homes are run by a manager, who in turn is helped by several assistants. These people can help you feel at home. If you have severe housing problems, get in touch with the manager.
Step 6. Learn about the prohibitions inside the student house
In some cases it is not allowed to introduce alcohol, invite people of the opposite sex or bring certain appliances from home. Ask when in doubt.
Step 7. Most dorms have shared bathrooms
Put on flip flops when you shower! Some diseases can be transmitted through the feet. Also, you don't know who went through this before you.
Step 8. Try to get enough sleep
It is recommended to rest for at least eight hours a night, although this can vary from one person to another. It can be difficult, because going out with friends and studying will be intense, but sleeping well is essential to perform well and stay in shape.
Step 9. Lock all your belongings before you go home for the holidays
In some dormitories, items left outside the rooms are thrown away or thefts occur.
Step 10. Do you feel homesick?
Call your family - you are never too old to do it.
Method 4 of 10: Stay Focused
Step 1. Be on time
Okay, your teacher doesn't take it out on latecomers, but arriving late for class still denotes a certain disrespect, and then you'll be the one to lose. Arrive early to prepare for the lesson.
Step 2. Buy a diary
It will help you know what you need to study, what you need to submit and when to go to class.
Step 3. Attend regularly
For some courses it is mandatory. However, even if it were not, what is the point of paying hundreds of euros in tuition and then not going to class?
Step 4. If you have a learning disability, talk to your teacher so that you can tailor the study to your needs
Step 5. Use the syllabus
Many professors plan in advance the topics they will tackle in class. Follow the program to better orient yourself.
Step 6. Get everything you need
Find out in advance what books you need - you could buy them second-hand instead of paying full price. Plus, you won't have to wait for them to arrive. Some teachers require students to have textbooks from the very first lessons.
Step 7. Establish study hours
You should set aside time for study and homework. Postponing will row against you. Try to figure out if you work better by studying a little at a time or doing a whole tirade. You can take breaks, but you need to plan them and not get distracted.
Step 8. Learn to take notes
Some people use legends or diagrams. Don't forget to write the date before you start jotting down what the professor says! If you have trouble paying attention, taking notes will help you focus. If your teacher makes handouts available, don't think you don't need to be careful. Follow carefully and add the details to the notes provided by the professor.
Step 9. Don't get distracted by your cell phone or computer in class
Some professors are very uncompromising, others are quieter, but that's not the point. If you don't focus, you won't perform well.
Method 5 of 10: Tips for Studying Better
Step 1. Talk to a tutor
If you can't follow the thread in class, don't be afraid to ask teachers or classmates for help. Resources vary from university to university, so find out right away where you can get help.
Step 2. Studying in a group is very useful
Invite some companions to join you. It will be more fun than doing it alone, and in the meantime, you will learn a lot.
Step 3. Don't panic if you get bad marks on the waivers or projects you turn in during the semester
Use them to motivate yourself to improve. They are only an evaluation, which allows you to understand your progress. If you were disappointed, you still have time to optimize your preparation for the final exam.
Step 4. Don't study the night before an exam
You have to understand the study topics from time to time, so the day before you simply have to review.
Step 5. Always treat yourself to a reward after taking an exam
You tried hard, so you deserve a reward! Buy some new clothes, eat at your favorite restaurant or hang out with your friends. These are just ideas.
Step 6. Evaluate your performance
If despite your hard work you can't improve, talk to the professors to find a solution.
Step 7. Ask Librarians for Help
They are generally experts in the field of research. Good librarians usually have a degree in librarianship and have researched and published essays.
Step 8. Borrow the books before buying them
Buy them only if you think they will come in handy in the future. Also, you could get their e-book versions, if available. This will allow you to save.
Method 6 of 10: Get Involved
Step 1. Find out the university where you study and the city you live in
Familiarize yourself with everything around you.
Step 2. Do not always stay at home or at university, also discover the towns and villages near the place where you study
Step 3. Join some university organization
Try new and stimulating activities or make new friends with people with similar interests to yours.
Step 4. Find out about the activities you can do in the city where you live
You can enroll in a language or theater course, help foreign students, etc.
Step 5. If your university sells merchandise, buy a sweater, t-shirt or bottle
This way you will prove that you are a proud student!
Step 6. Attend many events:
typical fairs or focused on job opportunities in the area, events held every year, etc. You will meet new people and you will always learn something.
Method 7 of 10: Getting to know the University Staff
Step 1. Get to know the staff and faculty members
This can help you find a mentor, and it will help you a lot during your first year. Their job is to help students orient themselves and identify the resources they need to succeed.
Step 2. Talk to the advisor who has been assigned to you or your graduate program in general
Ask him for suggestions, he can often help you manage classes efficiently or give you tips to better deal with university life in general.
Step 3. Be friendly to everyone, from the rector to the professors, from the canteen staff to the student house director
They are all human beings and they deserve to be respected. Also, the people you behave politely with will be the ones who will lend you a hand in your time of need.
Step 4. If you don't want to go home for the holidays, ask the manager of the dormitory or house you rent if you can stay
Sometimes it is possible to do this.
Method 8 of 10: Participating in Social Life
Step 1. Be sociable
Not all the people you meet will be your friends forever, but some will.
Step 2. Work hard during the week so the weekend will be more fun
Step 3. Make friends with older students
They can give you a lot of tips.
Step 4. Have fun
The university is not just for learning, but also for gaining life lessons and for personal growth.
Step 5. Don't feel pressured
If you don't want to drink, you are not alone. There are usually many activities that you can do in addition to attending parties. Join a club and read the emails sent by the university to be informed about the events organized by the institution.
Method 9 of 10: Sex, Drugs, Alcohol
Step 1. Drugs will not improve your performance
There are many students who use it, but this can seriously harm your academic performance.
Step 2. Never drive while intoxicated and never ride a car with a person who has been drinking
It is better to call someone else or a taxi than risk an accident.
Step 3. If you drink, do it responsibly
Start slowly and try to understand your limits. Fainting isn't cool, it's dangerous. Don't run the risk of being kicked out of where you live or going to the hospital for being drunk.
Step 4. Keep an eye on your drink
Watch the drink and don't accept one if you haven't seen it pour into the glass with your own eyes.
Step 5. If you are sexually active, always use a method of contraception, otherwise you run the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease, and then this is not the right time to have babies
The condom is the only contraceptive that protects against sexually transmitted diseases.
Step 6. Don't have sex if you don't feel like it
No means no. If a person harasses or assaults you, contact the authorities to report them.
Step 7. See your doctor if you are unsure
If you are concerned that you have contracted a sexually transmitted disease or are pregnant, see a doctor. In some universities it is possible to do this for free or for less.
Method 10 of 10: Earn an Extra
Step 1. Do you need money?
You can look for a job, but it allows you to study. Ask for advice at the university or search on your own.
Step 2. This is a good time to start being independent
If your parents still give you pocket money, spend it responsibly.
