Hello friends!! It has been a WILD past week moving into college for the first time and getting settled!
College just might be the most interesting, unpredictable, and exciting time in a young person’s life. Sure you have all the freedom you want, but there’s also the huge task of figuring out what to do with all that freedom, and that’s hard (even for the people who enjoy being in control of their own time).
I want to share with you 10 BIG things that I learned during my first week of college 🙂
But buckle in, cause it’s gonna be a rollercoaster of a ride.
Let’s start by diving into some common questions!
A small disclosure: I am a first-year student at a private university. All of my thoughts and comments are solely based on my personal experience, and nothing else.
You can also watch the video below to listen to me speak about these 10 BIG things I learned during my first week of college!
How do I survive the first week of college?
My best advice: take it one day at a time. New place, new people, new classes; it’s really a new lifestyle. Nobody expects you to have it all down by the end of the first week. I certainly don’t.
Each day you’re going to learn new things. Whether it’s the people you really like or the ones who may not be your favorite or the food you love or need some time getting adjusted to, or even simply, where things are located.
It’s a learning process, and I think the best way to survive is to cut yourself a break and acknowledge the situation you’re in: it’s a lot. Take each day as a new one, and try to find joy in the small things (because those are the things that will get you through).
What is the first day of college like?
By the time the first day of classes comes, you’re going to be ready. Of course, it’s going to be nerve-racking, but ultimately, nobody is going to throw anything at you that you can’t handle. You might surprise yourself with just how ready you truly are!!
I had three classes on my first day and some pretty considerable breaks in between. It went like this…
7:30-8:15 am → wake up and get ready!
8:15-8:45 am → eat breakfast
9:00-9:50 am → class – go over the syllabus
10:00-10:45 am → review syllabi in the library
11:00-12:50 pm → class – go over the syllabus and do a worksheet
1:00-2:00pm → eat lunch 🙂
2:00-4:45 pm → review more syllabi in the library & organize assignments!
5:00-6:15 pm → class – go over the syllabus and required textbooks
6:30-7:00 pm → eat dinner
7:00-11:00 pm → hang out with roommates
11:00 pm → go to sleep
After not doing much the first few days after move-in, by the end of the first day of classes, I was TIRED. Although, that day is my busiest day of the week (typically about 5 hours of class) so that could have also been it 🙂
I overall really liked my professors, but I quickly learned that they each have their own teaching/classroom style, as I’ll talk about more below!
The first day is really not as intimidating as it seems and by the end of the day, it’ll feel really good to have it under your belt!
What should I bring to my first day of college?
These were the things I found most useful to bring to the first day of classes! Stick them in your backpack and you’ll be ready to go!
Laptop and/or tablet
Whichever one you have, it’s important to bring it so that you’re able to get online with the professor and be ready to take notes if needed!
Notebook
Certain professors may not approve of taking notes on an iPad/tablet so it’s important to bring a notebook even if you plan to take notes electronically. You never know!
Pens and pencils
You don’t need more than a couple of each, but they’re still good to keep handy.
Waterbottle
Simply put, it’s so important to stay hydrated!! You don’t know how hot outside it’s going to be and you don’t want to get stuck without water.
Calculator
This one probably depends on which classes you’re taking, but I made sure to put it in my bag just in case 🙂
Required textbooks/materials
I had pre-ordered my required textbooks/materials from the bookstore, so I was able to add them to my backpack on the first day. Schools will range in how their textbook system works, but make sure to understand the system before day 1 if you can!
A small snack
I threw a couple of granola bars in my bag so that if I wasn’t near the dining hall at a point when I was hungry, I could have something with me!
A mask
Where I am, some classes required mask-wearing, and some don’t. On the first day, you may not know, so it’s a good idea to throw one in your bag just to be safe!
Don’t feel like you need to take this list verbatim, but these were just some of the things that helped me feel as prepared as possible on the first day!
The 10 Things I’ve Learned!
Finally! What are these 10 BIG Things I learned during my first week of college??
1. Move-in day is exciting, but it’s overwhelming as HECK!
There is so much build-up and anticipation to move-in day; and then, it just happens. And it’s so real. And it kind of feels like you’ve been hit by a truck. Well, just a little bit.
Our dorm room happened to be a good size, but something about the heat and the number of people there, and all of the unpacking made my mind so dizzy. If that happens to you, I found that it was really helpful to take a step back.
We found a place off campus to have lunch after an hour or so of unpacking and it was such a good opportunity for me to clear my head and do some processing. It’s a lot to think about. Actually moving away from your family after 18 years and living on your own? Heck yeah, it’s a lot.
After going through that day, I would now say to someone who hasn’t experienced it yet that you don’t have to be okay with everything on move-in day. You don’t have to feel 100% comfortable and confident in your new space as you take your first step in the door. It’s going to take time.
2. It’s good to personalize your space as much as possible
Chances are, you’re gonna miss home. I’m pretty sure just about everyone does, at least in the beginning.
I found it so helpful to bring photos and items from my bedroom at home to give myself a physical link to my prior lifestyle. These little things will give you some sense of normalcy, and will really bridge the gap between what almost will seem like your two selves (your pre-college self and your current-college self).
3. The food will probably be different than what you’re used to, but you’ll quickly figure out your favorites
Whether you’re used to daily home-cooked meals or a bustling grab-and-go lifestyle at home, or somewhere in between, at college, it’s going to be different.
Suddenly you’re welcomed to a whole variety of foods in the dining hall, and making a choice about what to eat may seem a bit overwhelming. You want to eat healthily, but ugh, that looks good. Or you try something, and it tastes different than it does at home. Or you’re really not that hungry, but your next class is a three-hour lab so you need to eat something now.
Other people may just grab whatever and eat and it’s easy; that’s great! But I’m sure there are others who share the spiraling pattern that can sometimes occur when you walk into the dining hall.
Something I can say definitively though is that it’s so important to eat!! Eating fuels your body and gets you ready to take on your day; try to avoid skipping out on any meals because it will affect you! (and not likely in a positive way)
If your goal is to eat healthily, I’ve found that there are other locations on campus (besides the main dining hall) that can have healthier options—I figured out these places here have mobile ordering too which is even BETTER!
It’s going to take a bit to feel out the different food options on campus, but don’t feel discouraged if some things taste better than others and if you haven’t quite gotten into your set “routine” yet. You’re going to learn each day and you’ll eventually figure it out 🙂
4. Split up your day and take breaks! Try not to stay in one place for too long 🙂
On the second day of school, I think I spent like four hours straight sitting in the library, in the same seat. Now, the library is a wonderful place: air conditioning, individual workspaces, peace and quiet; what more could you want when you need to get stuff done?
And I did get a lot of stuff done, but I will never sit there for four hours again. Your body needs to move. You can’t stay in the same place for too long, or else you’re going to feel stiff, and tired, and by the end of the day, you might even feel kind of unmotivated.
Try to take walks around campus every hour or so in between getting work done, or switch up locations every couple of hours if that works better for you. It will lead to more productivity and I can say, at least for myself, a more genuine sense of happiness.
5. There are plenty of quiet places to sit on campus when you feel like you need to step away from everything
It’s gonna get overwhelming, as I’ve probably mentioned five times up to this point. You’re going to want to have your own place you can go to get away from the dorm and the dining hall and just the overall chaos that comes in the first week of college and beyond.
There are private spaces in the library, as I briefly mentioned before, and often, if you’re on a typical college campus, there will probably be chairs scattered outside where you can go to take a moment for yourself.
College campuses are often bustling with excitement and stress and priorities, but it’s important that you have an escape. You want to make sure you still have a connection to your inner self to avoid getting lost and caught up in the newness of it all.
6. A lot of people around you are going to want to go out and drink and party
This might have been one of the most surprising things to me when I first got here, but it may or may not be for you. Being in a healthcare Living Learning Community, and having been accepted to a somewhat prestigious program, I was truly stunned by the number of people around me who were driven to drink and party as early as the first and second nights on campus. This was probably a little naive of me, as I’m realizing.
Of course, different schools have different levels of partying atmospheres, and certainly, you’ll run into drinking pretty much wherever you end up at some point.
I’m not going to tell you whether to drink or not drink, or what choices you should be making, or what the “right” way is to do things; it’s simply not my place; that’s for you to decide. But what I can say is that when kids move into college for the first time, there’s obviously a lot of independence.
There could be a million reasons for the drinking culture that we all know occurs in college. The kids who didn’t have experience with alcohol and parties in high school may suddenly develop an excitement for these things in college because they finally have the freedom to do so. The ones who are really struggling with the separation from home may want a significant distraction, and therefore, turn to alcohol. Others may struggle with making new friends, and so, they take advantage of the opportunity to drink so that they can feel more comfortable with the new people around them.
But as I said before, whether you drink or not, be prepared to face situations in which alcohol may be involved, and try to reflect on your relationship with alcohol before college to best prepare if such situations do present themself.
It’s also a good idea to familiarize yourself with your school’s policies on drugs and alcohol so that you can be fully aware of the consequences and the law.
Another thing: don’t do anything that you don’t feel comfortable with. If you don’t want to drink, don’t! The college experience is going to be an up-and-down one, but the closer you stick to your own values throughout it, the stronger you may just end up being in the end.
7. You’re going to miss home and the people there, but the separation will slowly get to be more manageable
Home. My heart agonizes with the thought of not being there with all of the people I love.
If you’re feeling this way too, don’t worry! It’s totally normal and I can guarantee that almost everyone is feeling it in one way or another.
As each day goes by, you’re going to learn how to be on your own: how to plan your own schedule and find your own classes and choose every single one of your own meals. Even after just the first week, it’s already starting to feel more natural.
In a way, I miss my family more when I’m texting them and FaceTiming them because I’m reminded of what I miss. On a typical day, you may find yourself so busy that you don’t have time to think about anything but your next class or your next meal, or the next assignment that’s due.
It’s going to take time, but you’re going to get into a rhythm. You’ll eventually feel better after talking to them on the phone and you’ll be able to envision your place in life a little more clearly. You’ll be reminded of how you got here and why you’re here. That, I feel, is enough to motivate me for the next six years.
8. It’s so important to get involved!!
YAY INVOLVEMENT!! I may just happen to be the QUEEN of putting too many things on my plate to the point where I am more stressed than you could ever think humanly possible…but…when you get involved the right way, you may just find a part of yourself you never knew was there.
Not only is getting involved a great way to meet new people who have common interests as you, but it’s also a great way to get acclimated to your new community.
See if your school has a club or involvement fair so that you can explore your possible options! Your school will also be likely to have a list on their website of their various clubs and activities so that you can explore what might be right for you.
After being so involved in high school, I’m so excited to get involved in college organizations (all the while being aware of my limit, cause that’s important too)!
9. The syllabi are all going to be different, and it’s going to be up to you to dissect each of them
Ugh, the syllabi. You love them, you hate them, you’re somewhere in between. If you’re a planner, you’re probably really going to enjoy receiving the syllabi from your new professors, at least the first couple of them.
Once they all start coming in, it’s a bit chaotic, because, as you’ll figure out, they’re not consistent with each other. Each professor is teaching their own class, individually, so, therefore, they can pretty much make up their own rules.
I found it helpful—even though it was as tedious as ever—to go through each syllabus (probably six or seven) and write down the main points from each. This way, you have a place you can go when you’re completing future assignments and may have a quick question. Instead of referring back to the big intimidating syllabus, you’ll likely be able to answer your own question with your notes!
It’s going to take time to get used to each professor’s own style, but you’ll eventually figure it out as time goes on!
10. It’s important to feel out different people, but also take advantage of connections you may already have when coming into college
Making new friends is so overwhelming!! So definitely take it slow. Get out there and meet new people when you can, but don’t be afraid to give yourself some downtime as well.
Some people may go to college knowing absolutely nobody, others may go knowing a couple of people, and others may go knowing a bunch, or having already made many interactions already over social media. In the end, whichever group you’re in, you’re going to have friends.
Knowing really just a couple of people from my high school coming to college, I’ve really tried to take advantage of those connections by trying to turn them into stronger friendships. When you don’t know many people, I find it helpful to start by building on connections you may already have.
Text someone to meet for lunch, call someone to ask what they’re up to. If you’re not a super extroverted person, start small. There’s no pressure to find a permanent friend group during the first week of school. In fact, most don’t.
My couple of high school friends and I have started this new thing where we’ll eat dinner outside and talk and hang out and look at the stars each night. We’ve even managed to get a few jokes out of it. It’s great to bounce your feelings off of other people so you can get an idea of how their feeling, and maybe even find a similarity in how college is treating you.
That Was a Lot
Wow. That was a lot of information. If you’ve skimmed or read all of the way to this point, thanks for sticking with me!! My goal is to share with you my (hopefully) relatable experiences to make you feel a little less alone. Or, if you’re in a different place in your life, to maybe give you a sense of comfort in your preparation if you’ll be going through these experiences soon or later in your life.
Comment down below (no matter what year or grade you’re in!) how you’re feeling about the start of a new school year! Whether you’re in middle, high school, or college, the first day (and first week) of the year tend to have some similarities 🙂
Always wishing you the best,
