09/08/21Mohil Gupta

Blog Post

How to Prepare for Freshman Year

You just finished high school and you're now getting ready for your next big adventure in life...COLLEGE. These are going to be some of the best years in your life. It's going to be a lot of fun, but it will also come with many challenges and stresses. You need to be prepared in and outside of the classroom - these tips will set you up for success.

Research Possible College Majors At most colleges, many freshman don't know what major or what career path they would want to pursue. Students need to start thinking in preparation for selecting their courses. We highly encourage students to explore academic advising programs at their schools to understand what major aligns with their aspirations, what classes are requirements for majors and minors, as well as their path to graduation.

Learn about yourself College is a time for exploration. There are dozens of different clubs and events that students can go to every week to learn a new skill, meet new friends and generally learn about themselves. We highly encourage students to get out of their comfort zone and expose themselves to different life experiences to set them up for success. Embrace time-management tools College offers a newfound sense of independence that students did not have in their high school years. Teachers and parents are no longer there to help keeping them on task to get to graduation. Balancing academic and social life can also be challenging. There are plenty of digital tools designed for students to make life a little more organized - and we highly encourage you use them. Some useful apps are Canvas Student, Google Calendar, Mendeley and Quizlet.

Contact professors before classes start It's important to cultivate a strong relationship with professors - it goes a long way in helping a student succeed, not just in class, but also in their future career. Once students picked their classes, we highly encourage them to email their instructors prior to class, to understand expectations and how to succeed academically. These professors could also help you land your dream internship or job down the road! Weigh getting a job or internship freshman year College can be very expensive, and these costs go way beyond fees and tuition. Day to day expenses can take up a significant part of a students' budget, but a part-time job can alleviate these budget strains. You can also get valuable work experience to set you up for a job, meet new friends and learn a new skill. Students should talk to the families about financial expectations before making the decision to work. It's going to be a new, exciting experience going to college. It will be scary but the only way to grow is to get out of your comfort zone. Go get prepared for this awesome year ahead and take every opportunity you can to learn, get new experiences and meet new people. You got this!

Find a Mentor Today

We’ve matched thousands of students with mentors to help them with their college & career journeys.

Create an Account

It's 100% free, forever.


UStrive has a collection of latest 2,500 jobs to join next companies.