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There are a lot of things to plan for when you’re heading into your freshman year of college. Yet everyone makes mistakes. There are common freshman year regrets though! Here’s how you can avoid them:
Picking 8am Classes If They’re Not a Morning Person
While you may be ready and anxious to attend your classes, you probably will regret picking an 8am course halfway through the semester. You may be used to an early time due to high school start times, but, if you oversleep, there’s no one there to wake you up. And if you’re not a morning person, your sleepy brain can easily justify hitting the snooze button.
If you wake up at the same time every day though, this could be a good choice.
In the same vein, you may want to avoid piling all your classes into one or two days, creating an 8 hour schedule. While this clears up the rest of your week, you could have trouble getting through the day.
However you choose your schedule, make sure you’re selecting them based off your needs and habits as well. Though it’s important to note that, in some cases, you won’t have a choice and the course will only be offered in the 8am slot. Beware morning classes.
Eating Unhealthily
During your freshman year, it’s ridiculously easy to pick up bad eating habits. With access to soda, sugar, and unhealthy foods, you may find it difficult to say no. This can put you on track for health issues or weight gain. Unhealthy and junk foods can also make it difficult to sleep, wake up, or concentrate during the day.
Don’t completely deny yourself treats, but make sure you’re also eating healthily. Don’t reach for the sugary dinner. Your meals should have healthy, yet delicious food including fruit, vegetables, and more.
Waiting Until The Last Minute To Complete Work
Many high school projects could be completed the day or two before they were due, but that’s not the case with most college projects. Essays in particular may require extensive research in the library over several days. Professors can also quickly see whether or not you put in the effort and it could severely impact your grade.
Procrastination could also cause issues for you if your professor requests that you turn it in at midnight (or at another time) online. It’s possible your computer could breakdown at 11:30, the turn in website isn’t working, or your internet is down. Many times, teachers won’t take these as excuses. It could result in a 0 or lowered grade. It’s best to turn it in ahead of time, making sure you’re giving yourself a large window in case something DOES go wrong.
Freshman year is your opportunity to learn about the next four years at your college. There are plenty of experiences to go through and there’s no doubt you’ll make mistakes. And that’s okay! Everyone is learning with you. But these common regrets can be avoided by being aware of them now and planning ahead for the upcoming semester.
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