Attending a huge school can be very hard to grasp. With thousands of students, it’s hard to imagine making such an immaculate campus your new home.
These tips are a sure way to guarantee a smooth and lasting transition into a giant university!
Don’t freak out!
You will meet TONS of people freshman year and feel overwhelmed. There will be people you immediately connect with and end up being your best friends twenty years later. Do not feel obligated to stay in touch with everyone you meet. Keep those you want to see and forget those you don’t “click” with. Learning to let go of people sooner rather than later will save you so much energy and unnecessary stress.
Don’t put up with pointless drama.
Some people thrive on it (hence why high school will always be their favorite time),but luckily most people hate it. There’s enough room at a big school to not be dragged into every petty fight. You can easily disappear for a while and disconnect yourself from drama you don’t want to deal with.
Attend big sporting events.
Guaranteed at least one team at your school is doing extremely well in the conference. Meaning tickets for sporting games turn into a huge social outings. Even if you only go to a couple every season, you should try to immerse yourself in your schools culture as thoroughly as possible. No matter how tired you might be, definitely take advantage of this before it’s too late.
GET INVOLVED!
This is super cliché but actually one hundred percent accurate. Be open to new or different clubs. For those politically-minded, join your party’s campus group. For the literary minds there are always multiple newspapers, creative writing magazines, and poetry journals to join. If there’s an audition for the group you want and you don’t make the cut—don’t worry about it, there are literally hundreds of other options to choose from! Keep your eyes peeled for organizations that will not only boost your resume but also provide a lifetime worth of friendships and memories. Whether it’s joining the intramural Quidditch team or a solar-powered engineering society, you won’t regret it!
First semester grades matter.
It’s easy to get lost in the all the business that is a large university and let your first semester grades slightly slide. Remember that your GPA is cumulative throughout your time at school, and it’s a hell of a lot easier to ace your 101 classes than the 400 or 500 level ones you’ll be taking senior year.
Go to office hours
It’s easy to sit in the back of a 200 person lecture and melt into the textbook. It’s not as easy to make the time to see your professor outside of class and really hash out the topics. It doesn’t matter if you’re going to ask a question or just to say hi–your professor will appreciate it and remember you the next time they’re grading papers or exams.
Don’t feel pressured
There isn’t as much pressure to drink as you think there will be. Big schools get a bad rap for being “party schools” (rightfully so, in some cases) but this does not mean that people at parties will pressure you to drink. Most students respect your decisions and won’t push drinking on you.
Always be alert
That being said if you do decide to drink, especially if you are underaged, please be careful. Watch your cup at all times; know who is giving you what. Stay with your friends and keep everything under control. Please don’t be that girl who openly walks around campus belligerently intoxicated and ends up getting pulled over by campus police. We all know you are better than that. Be safe, smart, and have fun.
Call your parents every once in a while.
They do worry and are really good listeners after a long day of chem lab or the tedious process of rushing. Sometimes a little reminder of home is what we all need.
For those upcoming freshmen terrified about attending a new big school know these tips are proven methods to ensure a smooth transition. Enjoy the incredible time you will have!! And just know you will never have a dull moment at a large university.
What do you guys think?
Do you go to a Big school and have anything to add? We’d love to hear from you!