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Mistakes are made by College Freshmen when in College or University, There are some common mistakes most college freshman make when they are in the higher institution.
The College Freshman Mistakes are common among students but are really discouraged because they have impact on the student while in college. Freshmen in college will have to navigate a completely new way of fixing them to smoothen and ease living the college.
The first year for a college freshman can be exciting time in a college with wonderfull environment to explore and new experiences to gain. This article is a guide for college freshman and students about entry college, we will outline the common mistakes and how to get over them as a freshman.
Freshman Common Mistakes in Colleges
The basic reason a student goes to college is to study therefore, academics become a priority for any college freshmen even as you progress in your degree study.
#1. Missing Classes
It’s tempting when you stayed up too late the night before and slept through your morning class. Probably, you read a textbooks or attended a friend’s party, a wrong start in college.
Excusing yourself out of class on the day a professor introduces a new topic, announces a quiz during the next class or assigns groups for a project due the following week. It’s easy to be out of class. But missing classes can mean an automatic fail for some courses if more than a certain number.
In college, attendance can be a major determining factor for freshman success. Good and right planning will help ensure students make it to class and stay on top of their educations.
READ ALSO: 5 Ways To Keep Yourself From Stress in College
“Don’t let tests, quizs and projects and the like creep up and unknown to you because grades are given for test and quiz so plan ahead, know what time you need to be ready for classes. Alarms may be annoying with unpleasant sound when it comes to sleeping early morning hours. You can use this to get yourself prepared for a class.
#2. Lack of Study Plan and Resource Management
Full responsibilities are taken by you in college, and no more shared responsibilities as when you are home. But with the increased responsibilities you are determined to prove you can handle them without asking for helps
Many college students simply don’t know how to prepare study plan and can’t manage resources effectively. It’s not all about reading, highlighting and buying textbooks . If college students don’t study critically and use the right materials for a subject, academic performance can be poor in a course or generally. The increased responsibilities can come with additional stress, feelings of being overwhelmed this can affect a student study plan and right material usage.
There are facilities all around campus to help students like academic and career advice, physical and mental health, IT help if not all almost everything you need. You just need to know where to find them. Check your school’s website, talk with an academic advisor or go to the freshman orientation.
#3. Not Watchful of Your Spending
You may realize only a little money is left for the entire year in college after a semester of eating out with new friends, stocking up on books and decorating your dorm room.
Debts are hard to take off because they can pile up quickly and you may not realize how much you owe within a short period. Money mistakes as college student can haunt you long after graduation, so spend smart and it’s best habits to start watch on your spending.
As Students make preliminary budgets for every year before you start academic session , accounting for any tuition, fees and housing costs, and make estimates for expenses like food, school supplies and transportation. Left over amount in the budget can be earmarked for miscellaneous or savings.
Also taking out a consistent amount of cash every month can also help with avoiding frivolous spending the moment the cash is exhausted, your spending stops.
#4. Not Getting Enough Sleep
The amount of sleep is important, and so is the regularity. There will always be exceptions days , students be away from dorm and keep to planned schedule this results in students staying up too late and missing out on sleep.
Students in colleges should aim to keep to a somewhat regular sleep schedule. Studies show that students who get proper rest won’t fall ill easily and can have good performance as the brain does less work when we sleep and is very active after a good rest.
#5. Not Careful Using Social Media
The social media is an open platform to everyone with tones of social threads, happenings and tagging friends on pictures and videos. When it comes to social media, there’s a fine line between sharing too much and enough. But when you do share on extremely it tells your times spent on social media in on becoming high.
Advantage of social media is employers like to see that potential hires have social media accounts, twitter, LinkedIn, skype are wise choice and be choosy about what you post as they can be seen by the public.
#6. Poor Time Management
Every event and activities in college are planned scheduled with time. Procrastination is one great enemy of students time in college, especially freshmen. College students who procrastinate suffers great rates of time loss, get assignments not properly done and submitted early enough.
It takes commitment to establish good time management habits and study plan to reduce or remove procastination.
#7. Wrong Friends and Network Cycle
Friends made during study in college are the most lasting friends in students life. Studies reveal that a large percentage of people you know and most likely to keep in touch after graduation are your college friends and colleagues. Friend cycle in and outside the classroom contributes to better graduation rates, better academic performance and greater overall satisfaction with school.
Get the right company, mingle with the groups that will impact and motivate you for better achievements. The best college friends to keep are those with information and needed resources to better study. Friends who will give positive testimony at your wedding party, job promotion they need to be cool, nice and funy too.
#8. No Backup Fund
Few students have backup fund used for emergencies, allow them to absorb a financial challenge that sprout up without going broke or seeking for student loans. How much should be put aside? This varies and will depend on individual financial backgrounds and access to cash. Take away frivolous spending and you will get some saving as a backup for emergencies.
Freshmen still receiving some parental assistance may do this more than students who are financially independent. You may plan on cutting down budgets to save and allocates it as back up cash.
#9. Not Balancing Friends or Family with Study
In the quest to study in college and obtain a degree, you’ve forgotten your best friend’s or family member’s birthday, haven’t called home in weeks and forgotten its a family reunion. But now you’re struggling to cover up and not sure how you can make the best apology. Check on friends and families by calling once in awhile or send text to keep the lines of communication open.
#10. Picking More Course
Intro to chemistry, archaeology, fundamentals of music – yes they are interesting! all this added subjects can become a bulk of credit load for a student to handle. What started as an exciting journey of knowledge has quickly turned into a marathon race that requires endurance, tenacity with stressful juggling act to get to the finish line. No more little time for extracurricular activities.
Start small
Students should know their majors and elective courses, you can meet with an academic advisor to determine the minimum number of credits you need to take each semester to meet college course requirements and your graduation goal. A good start to add a class, start there and once you get a feel for the course, you can take more credits load in the following semesters.
#11. Not Forming or Joining Groups
For students struggling with being in environment that is unfamiliar, they do keep to themselves at first. So don’t worry as this is usual habit with college freshmen. The common challenges are getting to understand room mates as freshman if you not getting along with them, meeting your new club members and having the feeling you are’nt welcome and you don’t fit into the group cycle.
Students are advice to go out join groups, clubs grow a network belong to a family. It best you belong to group(s) they are the closest people to check on you when there is challenge, when you are needed and celebrates you when you receive awards. Put yourself out there “there’s a network for every student, whether you like sports, music, arts, whatever.”
#12. Not Asking Questions
Sometimes college freshmen don’t want to ask questions because they don’t want to be noticed or reveal that they don’t know what they asking about. Ask questions, and always ask when you don’t understand until you understand. You may miss it or never meet the deadlin if you don’t ask or make enquires.
Students in college enviroment should realize that colleges want them to excell in classes and have the best college experience. That’s exactly why student resources, academic or financial advisers, tutors and counselors exist.
#13. Not Seeking for Help
A problem shared is half soved, college students get help from different areas, academic advisor can help a students when it relates to course, student do meet the dormitory officers when it’s relating to accomodation and the university website help can be accessed and complains lodged to the appropraite department. Seeking for help is the best way going around to get issues solved. There are help available at the library and ICT section if you need to get assignment done. Make use of them to solve problems arising.
#14. Not Taking Proper Physical Health Treatment
Your health being is important as a student, not taking proper health treatment when you are ill or observed symptoms of ill health can cause you to miss classes which in turn affects your academics. Universities require students to be physically fit for academics and other activities. Colleges and universities have medical facilities and provide services to student whenever they get ill.
#15. Not Taking Proper Mental Health Treatment
Mental illness is on the increase at universities and colleges. Students are reported for having depression, anxiety, etc. this occurs as result of extreme thoughts to settle bills or intake of substances. Unfortunately, many college students simply having this challenge or addicts can’t avoid dealing with it, or don’t know where to turn for help.
Freshman facing such trouble need to seek for help and how to deal with it. Students struggling with mental health issues should reach out for help from other college students, such as a roommate or resident adviser, and take advantage of campus counselors and counseling resources. Getting enough sleep, eating right and exercising may solve or reduce mental health challenge.
#16. Not Getting Out and Mingle
Students who focus solely on academics when at college can miss out on creating meaningful relationships, social interaction and are prone to feelings of loneliness. Mingling and interacting with other students is an important part of the college experience. Colleges often host a variety of activities, parties, from small concerts and movie viewings etc. Joining athletic, academic or personal interest clubs can help you meet peers with similar interests.
If clubs and study groups feel like too much commitment, attend on-campus events. Freshman should try to explore different on-campus social opportunities.
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