If you’re starting college this fall for the first time, whether your 18 or 58, the process of adjustment can be a lot easier with just a few tips in mind. Follow this advice and you might just glide into that first day of class with more confidence and excitement than uncertainty or dread.
- Attend an orientation. Colleges and universities host several orientation events that provide tours of campuses and help answer any questions you might have about everything from where to find quiet places to study, where to buy food or get your student ID to extracurricular activities and where certain buildings are located.
- Meet with an academic advisor who can help you plan ahead to make sure you’re taking the courses that are appropriate for your major, to make sure the credits are transferrable (if that’s your plan) or to help you develop an academic path that is right for you.
- Once you have your class schedule, reach out to your professors to introduce yourself and ask what, if anything, you can do to prepare for their classes. Being more prepared prior to that first day takes the fear out of the unknown.
- Devise a financial plan or budget that takes into consideration the cost of books, transportation, tuition and fees, meals and other incidentals that come up during the college experience.
- Do a dry run. Drive to campus, find where your classes will be and walk to each building you will be using. You might find you will need more or less time to get to and from school than you thought.
For more information visit slcc.edu
