Things I Wish I Knew Before College

Starting college is a huge milestone. The freedom and new experiences are exciting and at the same time kind of stressful and scary. When I was a freshman, there were tons of things that I didn’t know how to do or how to deal with. Here are some things that would have made my life easier if I knew about it before I started college:

• Get help from financial fitness: During my first year at DePaul, I burned through my paycheck way too fast and I was broke for the next few weeks. Financial Fitness is a great resource that helped me a lot with budgeting, and it also provides students with free one-on-one financial advising.

• Go to office hours: If your having trouble understanding something in class, don’t try to stay up the night before a test and learn it on your own. Reaching out to your professors or visiting them during office hours is a great way you can talk to them one-on-one and get the help you need.

• Avoid all nighters at all costs: We all fall into the habit of procrastinating and end up pulling an all-nighter at 2AM. It may sound like a good idea, but you will end up regretting it the next morning when can hardly stay awake in class.

• Get involved!: Getting involved in student organizations and clubs on campus is the best way to build a strong network of peers that will enhance your college experience. Even just starting study groups in your class or spending time in the student center is a great way to meet new people.

• Apply for Scholarships!: Most people think that applying for scholarships ends once you start college, but that’s not the case. Tons of scholarships are open to college students that are in an undergraduate or graduate programs and it can save you TONS of money during college.

– Noreen Jahan