Quick Tips

source: http://career.washcoll.edu/images/opportunity_boulevard.jpeg

If I could go back to my freshman year of college I would do many things differently. I think that I would've been more successful if I had more guidance through college from someone who had been there before. I have a brother who is graduating high school and will soon be attending college. I plan to give him a list of tips for college before he leaves. This way he won't make some of the mistakes I've made and has some guidance on his journey.

Some of these tips include:

-Don't slack off during your first two semesters. You'll be living on your own and it will be an exciting time for you. Living in the dorms it will be easy to become distracted from your studies. Senior year of high school is over. It's time to get serious and focus on your life ahead of you. I didn't work as hard as I could have my freshman year and my GPA will forever be affected by it. I had to work extremely hard my 2nd year to get back to where I wanted to be.

source: http://www.conciselearning.com/images/grades.png

-Along with my first point: Don't sign up for a large credit load your first two semesters. No one says you have to graduate in 4 years. It's perfectly fine to take your time. I took 18.5 credits my first semesters and I really regret it. Taking that many credits doesn't give you time to explore other aspects of college life while keeping your grades up.

-Join something. Look into some of the many campus organizations right away. Join something you're interested in. Stay with it for a while. If you enjoy it, become more involved in the organization. Run for a leadership position. Not only is it fun but experience in an organization is extremely valuable and can help while interviewing for a job.

-Go to the career fair. Look for an internship or co-op position as soon as possible. It's never too early to start looking. Many companies are searching for freshman students to fill positions. Experience here is again very valuable to  your future. Explore your options in the campus career center. Ask for help creating a resume and practice some of your skills in a mock interview or two. I didn't attend the career fair until my 2nd year because I was intimidated and didn't know much about it. If I could go back I'd create a resume and start looking for a job as soon as I arrived.