Yay! It’s your first day at the university, the beginning of your academic journey that will climax at the beginning of your career journey. It is normal to feel jittery on your first day at the university; however, you can cut yourself some slack by knowing what is required of you on your first day and getting yourself prepared ahead. Make it a fun day instead and ensure the memory is something you will always reminisce about with smiles. Below are some tips on what to expect on your first day at the university.
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1. Nervousness is a normal occurrence
There is always a first time for everything. Even a newscaster felt jittery on his or her debut appearance on the screen; likewise, your professor felt jittery on his first day before the students. The only thing that you should try to do is be yourself. Do not put too much pressure on yourself or rush things in order to overcome the nervousness. Remember that the whole of the week is for your adjustment? So, do not clutter everything on your first day to give yourself unnecessary pressure.
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2. Go early
When you arrive at the campus early, you can use enough time to move around the campus and through your classes so as to know the distance between buildings and the right routes to take. Coordinate with your housemates and roommates and find out everyone’s time schedules for activities, especially inbound activities.
3. Put yourself in order
Planning yourself well will help you know the right time for each activity. If you will need to wake up early, going to bed early will be ideal. Choose the right clothes and iron them. Pack your bag. Do not be scared to ask questions and know what is in store for you beforehand. Student advisors are always available to assist you. Pre-planning your meals and snacks will go a great length in helping you put yourself together. Have some goals, like reading through the syllabus and other activities you might want to perform. Notwithstanding, do not overburden yourself.
4. Be open-minded
Be open to meeting new people, making friends, experiencing new environments, and others. Laugh when there is a need for it. Wave to people who seem to like you from afar. Smile at everyone and feel peace within you.
Take a break for your lunch or coffee in open places and have time to meet other people. There are activities you may not have planned for, but they pop up in your day; be open to accepting or rejecting them, depending on your priorities.
5. Pack your backpack with the essentials
It is essential to pack your bag a day ahead. This will give you room to remember anything you may have forgotten while packing it. Items like laptop snacks, notebooks, sharpened pencils, pens, headphones, and earplugs are necessary for your backpack.
How to be a Perfect Student
Being perfect has different meanings for different individuals. You can choose to create your own definition and follow the path to perfection while setting your own goals. Nevertheless, do not be hard on yourself if you are not able to reach perfection; you will always achieve success if you put your mind to it. The following will help you to become the perfect student you dream of:
1. Be part of the class.
Do not isolate yourself from your classmates; you are now part of them. Introduce yourself to your classmates, professors, and other influential people. You could exchange numbers, if possible. Arriving earlier to class will not be a bad idea in order to network with others before the lectures begin.
2. Join clubs and meetups:
Joining clubs and meetups will help you find interesting skills and improve on your existing ones. You also have the potential for leadership positions and influencing others with your talents.
3. Do extra:
You can volunteer to lead a group or do some assignments for free. This is another avenue to sharpen your leadership skills and acquire more daring ones.
4. Let your whole being be in the class.
Ask questions and make relevant contributions in the class. If you did not understand anything in the class, ensure you gain clarity on that. This is also an avenue for your professor to get to know you. Make yourself available for others to learn from; be a go-to person who has all the solutions.
5. Focus during lectures:
Snap out of any kind of distraction. Pay uninterrupted attention. Switch off your phone or turn off the notifications.
6. Do not skip classes.
Your classes are the major reason you are in school; everything else is secondary to that. Do not form the habit of recording lectures and reading materials to catch up with the class. There could be some things you would have learned and likely questions to ask if you were present in the class. What about assignments and class updates that you may miss out on?
7. Take good notes and study at your own pace.
Figure out the best way you can learn from taking notes. Writing down everything on the slide will be a waste of time and you may not meet up. Write down the relevant points and expand later. Review your notes as often as possible to get acquainted with the materials. This is a better avenue to do away with cramming, as nothing disappoints more than it.
8. Create study time.
Get a good study routine and follow it judiciously. Find out the best time for you to study and make proper use of it. Also, organize yourself in such a way that you allot time to all your activities so that they do not clash.
Bad Study Habits You Should Drop
As a first-timer at the university, it might be difficult for you to figure out the wrong habits that may ruin your studies. With time, you may get to know them and drop them. But you should not wait to make a mistake before figuring out the solution. Here, we have compiled them to help you overcome them now.
1. Procrastination:
If you keep procrastinating, you might find out that the only time left to study is during the exam period. This will become so stressful for you and you may not still be able to carry all your courses along. This is why having study time is very good. Make sure you follow it faithfully. One more thing: do not let your friends, television, or social media be a distraction point for you. It will make you keep procrastinating while giving attention to the wrong activities. To deal with them, allocate time for all your activities. Know when to have time for your friends, when to watch the television and when to log in to Facebook or Twitter.
2. Studying with the wrong people:
When you choose to study with unscrupulous people or those who are not relevant to your field, it might be difficult for you to enjoy your studies. Get the right study partners who will motivate and support you through the study period. Get to ask one another questions after you have learned on your own. If your study partners make you spend the better part of your time chatting and discussing irrelevant matters, change them.
3. Studying at the wrong place:
Your couch and your bed are the number one wrong places. Avoid them. Test different atmospheres and choose the one that will help you study better. You need not be told that noisy places or places with a lot of activities and fun should be avoided for full concentration.
4. Studying the night before the exam:
The night before the exam should be used for revisions and resting your brain. It will be hard for you to pass the exam if you only studied the night before. If you stick to your study schedule, you will be able to meet up with the exam time. That is why setting your goals and following them step-by-step is very beneficial.
5. What worked for others might not work for you.
Take out your time and explore your world to discover the best practices to put in place to enable you to graduate with distinctions. As a first-time student, you have all the time to do whatever you need to. Do not waste them on things that do not matter.
Qualities Expected of a Good Student
As a new student, we have helped you to put down some good qualities a good student must possess. We believe you will find them very helpful, so try your best to put them into practice.
1. A good student asks questions:
It is your right to ask questions in any area where you lack clarity. Even your professor is very willing to receive your questions because it shows that you are paying attention. Asking questions is also very beneficial to a class because other students are going to pick something from the answer.
2. He is very hardworking.
It is your duty as a student to work hard in your academic pursuit. Every hardworking person is usually successful if he does not lose focus. Complete your assignment on time, ask for help when you need it, study for tests, quizzes, and examinations, find ways you can improve on your weaknesses, and so on.
3. He is a great leader.
A good student is naturally a leader, both in the classroom and outside. He does not fight to take charge; the onus usually falls upon him without lobbying for it. You could develop the skills if you discover that you lack the grace to lead a group of people.
4. A good student is a problem-solver.
A problem solver has enough access to information that he could use to influence others. It is a very serious skill you need to acquire in order to be on top of the game.
5. He is involved in extracurricular activities:
Getting involved in extracurricular activities is a sure way to build your confidence, which will help you achieve success. There are so many clubs on campus; find a suitable one and get yourself attached to it. Be actively involved in it and be a good team player.
University is a place of fun; ensure you participate in any activity that will enhance your growth. Do not forget that the major reason you have to be there in the first place is your studies. Have a fantastic moment as you begin this journey and may success be your ultimate goal.
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