Top Ten List for incoming College Students
By Michael H. Miller, Special to The Beacon
CBS’ David Letterman has his Top 10 list of things on various topics during his Late Show.
Here is a take on Letterman’s list with a few more added in on college preparation tips for incoming students.
Coming in at the 10th position is “Have Fun.”
College is supposed to be the best years of our lives and going through it without having fun is well…no fun. Enjoy the time at Northeast. Do not rush through it. Some even take the advantage of returning to school to further their educations or some stay for four, five or even six years because they are having so much fun here. Have fun in whatever field that as student chooses.
At No. 9 is “Keep in touch with those that care about you.”
Remember this is the first time away from home for an extended time. Call home every now and then to hear a familiar voice. Parents are probably going through some of the things the student is. They are for the first time in 18, 19 or 20 years ‘empty nesters’ and aren’t used to having the house quiet and to themselves. Call home and annoy them a little. That phone call will do both parties well. If a student finds that they are far away from home, use NEMCC’s long holidays to plan trips home. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring Break last more than a week so plan a trip home and get re-acquainted with the folks. Also as a way to keep yourself from getting homesick, decorate your room with things that make home feel closer. Pictures of family, the family pet or something that just reminds a student that there are people in this world that care about you is a great way to keep from getting homesick.
At No. 8 is “Stress. Don’t do it.”
Just as we have learned to say “No to Drugs,” as we enter this world on our own we need to learn how to say “No to Stress.”
Do not be in a rush. Take time to slow down and enjoy the ambiance around you. The birds, the bees, the flowers and the trees. Enjoy your time at Northeast. When things get are overwhelming take a moment to take a deep breath and slowly exhale. It will help.
Also, learn to prioritize your school, social life and everything in between. A good schedule can help cut down on the amount of stress a student will endure. Getting a day planner helps only if a student uses it.
Coming in at lucky No. 7 is “Pacing yourself.”
These are supposed to be the best years of your life. Do not rush through them and that goes for your major as well. It might be tempting to pack all of your two-year requirements into a year-and-a-half but don’t do it. It will become too overwhelming. The college catalog has courses planned out so that a student can finish their degree at Northeast in two years or a little more. Remember that you are not required to take classes in the way the college catalog suggests so if a student is struggling in math per se. Take intermediate or beginning algebra before jumping into college algebra. Same goes for all the rest of the academia. It might take a student longer to get their degree from Northeast but in the long run the student will enjoy their time better and will more likely to succeed in what they are doing instead of rushing through college. After settling in and adjusting to college life, then as the students say “Get Work Done.”
Landing close to the middle at No. 6 is “Resources. Use them.”
Northeast is here to help students in ascertaining their degrees. Use all the resources that the college has to offer. Stop by Financial Aid and fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) who knows a student might luck up on some money and get their college career paid for. Also, look for other scholarships from outside agencies such as the Northeast Development Foundation.
If a student finds that they are having trouble with basic study skills or think that the senior summer has taken away a year or, stop by the Student Success Center and Counseling Center inside Waller Hall on the Boulevard.
The StudentSuccessCenter and CounselingCenter can help students find a variety of things to improve their time at Northeast. Whether it is building a resume to land a full-time or part-time job to helping them with their study skills so they can excel in a class the StudentSuccessCenter and CounselingCenter has it all available to students for free.
Tutors are available to help students that might be struggling in a class as well as helping them with note-taking, test taking and study skills.
At the midway point (No. 5) is “Socialize.”
Even if a student comes to Northeast with a group of friends from high school, it is always a good idea to branch out, go out, and see what the world has to offer. Make new friends, enjoy the old.
A word of advice to incoming freshmen facing the thought of isolation when moving away from their cliché’ and friends that they have grown up around -- The friends that a person makes in college will be the friends that stay with them throughout their lives. Each on of the college friends share a common bond, common thoughts and adventures that as students you will only do once in your life. In addition, college friends share the bond knowing that one day they will be working side-by-side with each other in the same field that each has chose to pursue a degree in. A student’s high school friends granted will go separate ways as they attempt to find their ways in life. Do not worry about facing the isolation of going to college, look up and find that a new chapter of life where as a student you will be creating more bonds with the people that will be in your life for the rest of your lives.
Not only socialize with friends but also get to know the groups and organizations on campus, Northeast offers a wide variety of organizations.
At No. 4 is “Find a place to study…quietly.”
Trying to study with the television on is annoying and trying to watch a show and study can be distracting from the learning experience.
Students will have to sit down and study at one time or another so why not do it quietly and end the process quickly.
Even being around other people can distract from studying so find a quiet out of the way place to study. Stay away from any major distractions and choose a time that right for the student to hit the books. It might be during a layover between classes or it might be during the afternoon when things quiet down on campus. The Eula Dees Library offers a quiet place to get away from the ruckus and even a quiet dorm room can offer a vacation from the normal hectic lifestyle long enough to study and pass class.
Heading into the Top 3, is “Going to Class and Take advantage of instructor’s conference hours.”
It might seem like a simple statement but a student does not know how hard it is to get up and go to class at 8 a.m. on their own after having mom or dad wake them up and get them going in time for the past 20 years. Get an alarm, have a friend call do something so that you are up and going when it is time to go to class…and do it.
Northeast allows students to miss the equivalent of two weeks in any class but do not use them up … some instructors award students for not missing a day.
Also, take advantage of your instructor’s conference hours. Those hours are set aside for you the student. If you are confused on something said in class or have questions pertaining to grades or assignments the conference hours give you a chance to speak to your instructor outside of the classroom setting.
At the runner-up spot of College Tips for incoming students is, “Being responsible.”
Welcome to the Real World.
Mom and Dad are not here anymore and you are left to fend for yourself.
Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection falls a little bit short here but it applies nonetheless. Only the strong will survive if they are responsible. So be responsible. Everyone here is a legal adult now.
Your advisors, friends and family will help a student keep up with things but they can only go so far. It is your duty to get your education.
If struggling with class was not enough, getting your finances in order can be a pain in the … you know what. It is your responsibility to keep them straight and not screw up your credit score before turning 20.
One thing that freshmen do not watch out for is their health. You are on your own. No one will watch over you when sickness comes so watch for the warning signs. If the symptoms of the common cold or something develop, seek immediate medical treatment.
Using your head to make good decision will help any student survive their first year of college.
Hitting in at the top spot on our countdown, “DO NOT PROCRASTINATE.”
This may seem as simple as the “Go to Class” phrase in the third spot but things come up and academics sometimes get pushed to the back burner.
Even while only taking a minimum number of classes, assignment can start to snowball if put off especially if a number of papers are due within close proximity to one another. Start early. Make out a calendar on when to do assignments that are long range and stick to it.
As the semester progresses, procrastination will seem more and more like a necessity but do not let it be. Keep up with all assignments and do not procrastinate. Get a day planner and write due dates for assignments down in it. The day planner will help a student to stay focused on what is due and when. As for the paper writing, do not wait until the night before to write it – the papers do require some research and the library is a better place to find it than the Internet. So start early the more sources and citations you have the better paper it will be. The same goes for studying and homework – yes homework – stay current on all of it. Do not slip off because if you miss one chapter you will have to do double the work to get caught back up with the rest of the class. |
