Don’t Make These 10 Freshman Mistakes In College

Make the most of freshman year.

Starting a new life as a college freshman can be an intimidating and overwhelming experience. As new students try to get their footing, many are likely to make a few mistakes along the way. U.S. News rounded up tips from Twitter followers, students and experts on common first-year blunders to avoid.

Ignoring college health guidelines

A student’s freshman experiences are exciting, but don’t ignore a college’s heath guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic. Many colleges are asking that students practice social distancing measures and wear face masks to avoid spreading the novel coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19. Freshmen can keep up to date on the latest recommendations to stay safe on campus by checking their college’s website and reviewing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

Trying to do it all alone

Need help with a class? Talk to your professor or see a tutor. Stressed out? Speak with a counselor. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help even before you need it,” Twitter user Student Success from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute says. Schools often offer academic, health and social resources specifically tailored to freshman students, and more colleges are working to address mental health issues through counseling. Learn more about how to access mental health services as well as other resources earlier rather than later.

Not attending class

Showing up on test day isn’t enough. It’s hard to make the grades if students don’t attend class to learn the material. Just one year of college can cost more than $10,000 in tuition and fees for in-state students at public schools, and students pay whether they attend lectures or not. “Go to class! Attendance is highly correlated with grades,” Twitter user S. Turgeson writes.

Procrastinating

Procrastination can lead to missed or late assignments, cramming, stress and poor eating. But it’s also a bad habit for students who are building skills to enter the workforce. “I fell behind in many of my courses due to waiting til last minute,” Twitter user Mary Walters says.

Pulling all-nighters frequently

Go to sleep. Bingeing on energy drinks or coffee to stay awake to cram for an exam can lead to bad grades, as the brain’s ability to recall and reason is better when bodies are well rested. Learn more about how to sleep well in college.

Taking on too much

Students shouldn’t become hermits, but overloading their schedules with courses and extracurriculars is a bad idea. Megan Wampler, a University of Michigan–Ann Arbor graduate, says her excitement for college quickly faded when she took on too many classes freshman year and wasn’t sleeping. “I was spending all of my time either in class or doing homework. I wasn’t hanging out with friends because I was so overwhelmed with my academic and professional responsibilities. I was so excited to get started, I forgot to make sure I was actually enjoying myself,” she wrote in a blog post. Instead, try to find balance and focus on managing current responsibilities well, experts say.

Watching too many shows online

Students who are studying properly, exercising, participating in extracurriculars or working probably don’t have much time to binge-watch Netflix shows or spend hours looking at videos on YouTube. “In high school, you have a structured schedule — you wake up at the same time every morning, switch classes at the same time every day, and dismiss to head home or go to extra curricular activities when the school day ends. In college, that isn’t quite the case,” Jess Casimir, a former admissions ambassador and graduate of the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, wrote in an email. Time management is “key to making sure you can practice a healthy school/life balance,” she says.

Partying hard

Excessive drinking while in college is a common but unsafe practice. Research shows the early weeks of freshman year are a particularly vulnerable time for students, who may be exposed to many opportunities to consume alcohol combined with social pressures to do so. Students should consider the health and legal consequences of drinking heavily while underage, and make safe choices about social gatherings — especially as medical experts worry about a possible second wave of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S.

Story continues