Welcome to College! Here’s another compilation of tips from someone who has tread the path you’re about to walk.
Study abroad in the summer. See photos of the advanced studies in England program, courtesy of Patricia Veasey, a fellow participant in the program: http://veaseyengland.blogspot.com/
Don’t waste time. I don’t need to restate how much there is to do at Yale. And of course, you can’t do it all. But you should do as much as you can. That means minimize the sleeping in and time-sucking Facebooking, get out there, and keep yourself busy. Every minute is precious.
Chart How You’ve Changed. I think the best way to do this is to blog or somehow to just write about your day and to take pictures of the good times with friends. You’ll look back on them at the end of the year and be amazed at how Yale has changed you – hopefully for the better. I didn’t really record much of freshmen year and now a lot of it is fading. I have no pictures of what I looked like when I began, and kept very few class notes except those on my laptop.
Do Laundry in the Early Morning… if you don’t want your laundry touched by strangers.
Put some time into your appearance. This is not as superficial as it sounds. Looking back at some of the photos I did manage to take as a freshman, I can’t help but cringe at some. Take that extra 10 minutes to make your hair look presentable and trade in sweatpants for jeans, and you won’t mind showing your children those photos later on.
Skip classes… when necessary. I was one of those freshmen who showed up to every class, every section, even though at one point I was taking five classes and had two discussion sections. Listen to your intuition when it tells you you’re overdoing it. Though it’s a last-choice decision, not attending a class so that you can get enough sleep for the day or so that you can do some work for a more crucial class later is okay. Just don’t do it often. It’s counterintuitive but school is not always the priority. College is not as straightforward as high school.
Eat light dinners for two reasons: you’ll sleep better and won’t gain weight; and secondly there’s usually LOTS of late-night food available for you if you do get hungry later. I also recommend you keep a stash of healthy snacks, like fruit from the dining hall, grains, and nuts, stuff you won’t regret binging on after everything closes.
Take risks. Do one thing that scares you every day. Well, within limits. Don’t walk the streets of New Haven alone at night.
Get to know faculty, Deans, and Masters. Easiest way to do this, especially if you’re shy, is to chat with them when you have to make appointments for signing papers and stuff. You’ll also see them in the dining halls, which is more awkward but worth it. Warning: You may see classy people chew with their mouths open.
Know that you’ll improve. Surrounded by brilliant, talented people you’re bound to feel inferior at times. Don’t be scared of your weaknesses. What’s important to realize is that you’ve got the core skills that Yale admissions has recognized as your potential to do great things. Therefore, take every opportunity to learn as much as you can. Remember that classes are not the only part of a Yale education – learn from classmates, from your family when you go back home full of college experiences, and most importantly, learn from your mistakes!
Save money. I don’t care if you have a four-year full ride scholarship to Yale. Just finding ways to save money – hunting out discounts, DIY, and cutting and tracking excess expenses – is a valuable skill that will serve you well in life. It’s not too early to look for some charities in need of donations. And if you’re counting on Wall Street to fund your future, obviously that’s not a safe bet.
Read advice. You don’t have to make the mistakes to learn from them! Take other people’s experiences and build up your wisdom. Also, the internet is truly useful to find out things you’re too shy/lazy to ask people about. There are great resources out there AND some that are both fun and educational, the perfect procrastination tobacco patch. Take internet information with a grain of salt, though, unless you’ve read it on this blog, of course :)
