How to Survive Your First Semester of College

Maria Gagliano
English 101
Adam Weinstein
19 November 2007

Moving away from home, parties, and no more parent’s rules all sound like a blast, right? Well, there is one word missing from that list, and that is school. College is the definition of learning how to balance all of these things. For those of you who are still in high school, mainly you seniors, people will preach to you about how hard your first semester will be, and you will probably just brush that off, but it is true. As I wrap up my own first semester at the University of Alabama, I have personally witnessed the rush of “college life” take over some of my friends. While the adjustment from high school like to college life was difficult, I managed to learn how to balance a social life with my school life.

Dorm life, enough said. Okay, just kidding. At the University of Alabama, all incoming freshmen are required to live in a dorm. Towards the end of your senior year you must sign up with your roommate for your dorm, and let me just say from personal experience, no best friends as roommates; it will not work out and chances are that both of you will not come out friends. I have lived in Tutwiler, which is an all girls dorm, for my first semester; I hated it, simple as that. I came into this year thinking dorm life was a good idea, but I was wrong. The only good thing about Tutwiler is that it is so convenient for everything. It gets really tough sharing a room the size of a shoe box with someone else because in that shoe box you have your bedroom, kitchen, and living room all packed into one. It sucks. Oh, and I cannot forget the stall showers that are really disgusting. Wearing shower shoes gets real old real fast, and running from the bathroom to your room wrapped in a towel while guys may be visiting can be a little awkward. Also, dorms are not a quiet place for studying; I could hear my neighbor’s whole conversation through the walls because they are so thin. If it is at all possible for you to get out of having to live in a dorm, I strongly advise it because I myself cannot make a whole year in Tutwiler, and I am moving into an apartment for my second semester.

Moving away from home and learning to live on your own brings lots of excitement to incoming freshmen. There is no more mom and dad to watch over your every move, and no one to make sure that you do what you are supposed to do. This is when you must learn self-discipline. Know when it is okay to go out and party and when it is not. Learn when you need to start studying because procrastination is a problem among all college students. College is much different from high school and most people cannot make it in college by repeating what they did in high school. Time management is a key factor to having a successful first semester as well as your whole college career.

All incoming freshmen are also required to attend Bama Bound in the summer, and believe me it is boring, but this is where you will make your own class schedule. College class schedules are much different than high school schedules; you may have a nine o’clock AM class, but then not another until one o’clock PM. You will learn to love the time between classes because it becomes very beneficial for extra studying or catching up on homework. When you make your schedules, my first piece of advice is to not do early classes. I made the mistake of scheduling an eight o’clock AM class my first semester, and trust me that is way too early for my brain to be functioning. Next, once classes have begun, make the effort to get to know your teachers, introduce yourself, and show them that you really care about doing well in that class.

If you were one who got by in high school without paying attention in class then you better train those to ears to listen because lectures are very important in college, and some teachers even throw clues in their lectures about tests, this is information you will not find in your text book. Your note taking skills will also improve as the classes go by. My first couple of weeks, I was not one of the best note takers, but that has defiantly changed since I have been at the University.

It is very important to not wait until the day before, or even the day of, to start studying for a big test. It is just plain dumb, and impossible to cram all of what you need to know for the test right before you go in to take it. Review your notes every night to keep the material fresh on your mind; it will not take but fifteen minutes out of your night. Making flash cards seems childish and old school, but flash cards are worth the trouble. I have learned to make the library my friend, and I am sure you will too. Balancing school life with a social life is the hardest part of the first semester.

Many incoming freshmen are going to be pledges for their sorority or fraternity for almost half of their first semester. This means lots of hours will be spent at their house to prepare for initiation. There will be swaps, when a fraternity and sorority will dress up just to party and drink with each other, mostly every Tuesday and Thursday night, and there are pledge parties on the other nights. Pledge parties are when the pledge classes of a fraternity and a sorority get together to party as well and meet new people. This means that there is usually a party every night of the week and you must learn to discipline yourself. For most people, there is no way you can go out every night and make the grades you really want and need. Do not forget that school is the reason you went away for college, not partying every single night. Your friends will not hate you if you do not go out a night or two; plus, if you drink every night then you have the freshmen fifteen to worry about, and that is when the recreation center should become your new home because no one wants to worry about gaining all of that weight.

Balance and time management are every freshmen’s keys to a successful first semester. Seniors in high school, get ready for a fun first semester, and try your hardest to not let the stress of everything overwhelm you. Remember, do not procrastinate.