Freshmen year is nothing short of intimidating. There is so much you don’t know and so much you want to know. To help guide you, we’ve asked three individuals who have experienced and mentored incoming freshmen on how to survive your freshmen year!

Skylar Wynn, Old Dominion University, Sophomore

DO:

• Map out your classes and their locations so you don’t get lost.
• Research and attend clubs and sorority/fraternity events and programs – they always end up being fun!
• Make the extra effort to get to know your professors outside of the classroom. Visit their office hours and study sessions. It will help in the long run.
• Take the time to build relationships with the people in your building and on your floor. Having those relationships can pay off if you have a class together or need moral support.
• Use the resources the campus provides!  If you need to study, go to the library. If you want to vent, go to the counseling center.

DON’T:

• Don’t participate in illegal activities that can affect your hall or others around you. For example, my freshmen year there was a guy in our hall who was doing some “things” and because of it we had police roaming around at all hours. Not to mention, we had to have several hall meetings about it. It brought down the morale of the whole hall.
• Don’t be afraid to venture out and explore your campus!
• Don’t cheat! When you break the honor code you can get kicked out of the class, suspended or worse. Trust me, it’s not worth it! Instead, ask for an extension or accept the failing grade.
• Be courteous of your roommate and keep your overnight guests to a minimum. Boyfriends are okay but they didn’t get assigned to the room, you did!
• Don’t participate in cyber bullying! If you have issues with someone else reach out to your RA or someone in counseling services to help mediate the situation.

Lindsey Connor, Freshmen Resident Assistant, Junior

DO:

• Take your roommate agreement seriously.
• Go to class!
• Maintain a level of self-respect while experiencing independence.
• Focus on classes. That’s why you’re here.
• Recognize your rookie mistakes and fix them.

DON’T:

• Skip class.
• Don’t throw parties in your dorm— attend them so you don’t get in trouble for being the host or for what events occur in your room.
• Throw away opportunities.
• Forget your family. They got you here.
• Be forced into things you’re not comfortable with.

Amanda Davis, Freshmen Residence Hall Director

DO:

• Make friends with people in your residence hall community!
• Get involved on campus; hall council, Greek life, club sports, etc!
• Do get at least 6 hours of sleep a night and work out at least 3 times a week! The freshman 15 will creep up on you very fast, but the sophomore 20 will last forever if you don’t create positive healthy habits!
• Do keep a planner, schedule or time management tablet around at all times! College is about having fun, getting a degree and learning to manage time healthily!
• Do be the person you want to be. Don’t let the person you were in high school hold you back from being the world-changer you are meant to be in college!

DON’T:

• Don’t limit yourself to only being friends with your boyfriend, roommate or old high school friends. College is meant for you to meet people from multiple backgrounds!
•  Don’t let partying become more important than school work! Yes you should have a great time in college, but you or your parents aren’t paying for you to get a degree in fun, and fun won’t pay your salary.
•  Don’t gossip or create drama on social networks! Be an adult and assertively tell people how you feel. Passive aggression only creates drama.
•  Don’t think you can catch up on sleep that you’ve missed. Naps are nice and sleeping –in feels great, but none of that can beat a healthy sleep schedule.
• Don’t forget that you’re an adult who is now a member of a larger community. It is your right and responsibility to contribute to the community positively and fully.

If you have any questions about our do’s and don’ts feel free to tweet us @Collegelifestyl or friend us on FaceBook!

Shaniece Sanford is a Fashion and Living Writer for College Lifestyles. She is a junior Communications major at Old Dominion University who speaks fluent Starbucks, Chipotle, & Twitter banter.