My First Semester

Well, Fall Semester 2014 is over. The exams have been graded, books have been returned, clothes have been packed, and every once of information has been drained from my head. All in all, I'm pretty happy with how it went. I definitely learned a lot, being my first time away from home and such, so I'm gonna share what I learned with y'all!

1. You really don't need all of your clothes.... I thought I'd dress up every once in a while to go to class. Boy, that idea wore off really quick. On average, you will most likely not have the energy to try so hard every day. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, and I give major props to the girls and guys that put so much effort into their appearance! That takes work. Anyways. I bring home so much random junk every time I come home. Only bring what you really know you'll need. Space is precious in college. 
2. Organization is key. With every day consisting of a different schedule, it tends to get confusing. Due dates are given to you once. Most professors will not constantly remind you when something is due or when you're next test is. Keep a planner! I've told you this before, so please believe me! It's important! 
3. Do your best to get along with your roommate. You never know when you'll get sick and need someone to bring you gatorade or when your hair dryer will break and you'll have to borrow theirs! Plus, who else is gonna be cracking up with you at midnight when you know you have things to do early the next morning.
4. Find a hobby. Drawing, guitar, writing. Something small to fill gaps in your schedule.  I do Zentangles. They're so fun, and you can find all kinds of pattern ideas on Pinterest. 



One of my tangles! They're so fun to make!


5. DO NOT BUY YOUR BOOKS FROM THE ON-CAMPUS BOOKSTORE. I simply cannot stress this enough. This past semester, I paid $500 for RENTALS THAT I COULD NOT KEEP. That's absolutely ridiculous. This time around, I went online ahead of time and looked up all the books I will need for next semester. Then, I went on my Amazon Prime account (sign up through this link to give me $10 credit and get Amazon Student for $50 a year!!! SOOO worth it...)and looked up my books. Basically, I chose whatever option was cheapest. For large textbooks, like Calculus, I rented them through Amazon. For shorter reading for English, I simply bought them. Though Kindle is cheaper, I personally prefer having the book in front of me so I can mark in it and such. I had to get a couple through the bookstore because they're impossible to find, but they were still cheap. Basically, save money where you can. Rent, buy used, borrow, whatever you can. I'm not even getting my French book because I already have the online access code from this semester! So, instead of $500, I spent..... *drumrolls* $100!!!!! Hallelujah. A miracle has occurred. 
   
6. Stick to your studies. In my experience, college professors don't assign a lot of busy work. Yes, you'll probably have a decent amount of papers to write. It really depends on your major. But all in all, you have a lot more time to do your work, especially if you just get it done! Don't wait up all night (coughKelseycough) to do your paper. Get it done when you have time to kill before the caf opens for dinner, or while waiting for your friend to get out of class. You'll find a lot of little snippets of time that can be used just to write one paragraph at a time! You'll feel a lot less stressed and so much more confident- plus your GPA will thank you!
7. Go home. I love being at school with all my friends and all that freedom. But there's nothing like real food and movie nights with your family. They miss you, believe it or not. If at all possible, go home sometimes.

All in all, the best advice I can give you for your first semester is to enjoy it, but learn to hold your own. It's all about balancing your studies with your parties. I'm really looking forward to next semester, and the rest of my college career. If you have any other advice, tell me in the comments below! 

xoxo, a.