Seven years deep and I still get intimated at the start of the semester. I look at the long checklist of assignments compared to the weeks until finals and I wonder: “Can I really do this?”

On the other side of a master’s degree, I know that I will conquer this semester like all the one’s before it. But I can’t help but get nostalgic about the first time I ever set foot on campus as college freshman.

It was August of 2011, University of Arkansas (WPS!). If I knew then what I know now, man. So let me help you. Whether this is your first semester of college or your last, something I say will resonate with you.

1. The syllabus is a BINDING CONTRACT. Read it. Read it. Read it. Then read it again. Check it weekly. Know the policies of your professors. This will save you from walking into class and being surprised by a test. This will also help you figure out how to plan you study schedule. Compare each syllabus from your classes, write all you assignments down, and get to work! I promise if you excel at the beginning of the semester, finals can’t hurt you.
2. Make a list of 5 fun facts about yourself. You’ll need the for the millions of ice breakers you do over the course of your collegiate career. If you can’t come up with any, get a hobby. I’ve literally had to post fun facts about myself almost every semester for the past 3 years.
3. Get to know your professors. I can’t stress how important it is to have a good, working relationship with your professors. Especially the ones in your department. Letters of Recommendation, they can write them. Help with job hunting, they have connections in the field. Had a rough week, they can probably help with that too. Knowing my professors as a person, not just as another face in the crowd has gotten me into two different programs in my academic career.
4. Learn how to study. Learn how YOU study! Some people like the library. I’m not a fan. I like coffee shops. Some people don’t do well with a lot of background noise. Some like to study in groups. Some like to study alone. Learn how you learn. It’s a 20 question quiz. Most people are a combination. I’m Audio and Visual. I learn by seeing and hearing. Some people are more tactile and like hands-on learning.
5. Make friends. There’s levels to this. You need friends to have fun with. Friends who are in your major that you can progress through the program with. A friend in each of your classes, so that if you need the notes from that day you know who to ask. If you’re going away to school, friends who have family nearby. Going home isn’t always an option, so it’s nice when you can hang out with them over a long weekend. And who doesn’t love bonus family?! If you’re really lucky, these friends will over lap.

These are all things I live by. They got me through undergraduate. They saved my life in graduate school. As I trek though this season of my education, I know I will still live by this advice.

First day hugs and good luck to everyone 🙂