Keep Your Door Open

Most freshmen are seeking new friendships. An easy way to come across as approachable is by keeping your dorm room door open during times when you would like visitors to stop in. A closed door does not always mean others are unwelcome, however, an open door is far more inviting.

Do Not Judge Others Before You Know Them

Suddenly living in a new environment can be very daunting, so, be sure to remember that you are not alone. When attempting to make new friends, as this is most students’ first task, start with those on your dorm floor. As you may find, befriending these people may not be as difficult as you think. For example, simply ask someone if he or she would like to eat at the dining center with you. If you feel awkward eating alone in public settings this may be a good way to avoid that. Watching movies, playing board games and video games are usually popular choices among roommates and can be extended to other students as well.
The most important tip I can give anyone on meeting new people, is not to form an opinion of them too quickly. Get to know someone before you decide if you like or dislike him or her.

Shop Around for Textbooks

Bookstores on campus might be most convenient when purchasing your semester’s textbooks, however, a lot of money can be saved (or spent in a different way) by purchasing books from other college students or online. I have broken down buying and selling into easy to follow steps. I encourage all college freshmen to consider avoiding bookstores, as many students find it most practical. Furthermore, many seniors say they wish they would have started avoiding the bookstores sooner.

Buying books: (1) Find what books are required or recommended by the professor for the course. (2) Search the bookstore to find what they are charging. (3) Search the internet (Amazon, eBay, etc.) to see if you can find it cheaper. This is very easy if you have the ISBN code for the book. (4) If the exact book is found online with a cheaper price, buy it! (5) Compare the amount you spent to the amount others are spending at the campus bookstore. (6) Enjoy the money saved!

Selling books: (1) Feel welcome to check the bookstore if they have a buyback program to see what they will give you for the book. If you are satisfied with the amount, take it. However, if you are not happy with the amount try selling the book yourself. (2) Find out if the same book is going to be used the following semester. It would be unethical to sell a fellow student a book that will not be used for his/her class. (3) If the book will be used by the professor again, start by asking around if others may need it. I have found that it is easiest to publish the class name and book title on my Facebook status. Some professors are even willing to email the new class, letting them know you have a book for sale. (4) If you are unable to sell it to a classmate, try selling it online. I have never sold a book online but many people do.

Become Best Friends With Your Professors

Ok, perhaps best friends may be a bit much, but opening the lines of communication can only benefit you. Quite possibly, this can be done with a simple self-introduction. Some students (like me when I was a freshman) find approaching professors intimidating, especially in large classes. However, after talking with your professor you may find it to be a much more comfortable experience than you had envisioned.

Contrary to what many students believe, most professors want to help students succeed. When a question arises concerning class material, it is not a bad idea to go your professor during his or her office hours. This also creates a great opportunity for that “self-introduction” motioned above.

From my experience, I have found that asking questions in class not only shows the instructor I am paying attention and interested in the topic, but allows him or her to become familiar with my face. That way, when I introduce myself, I give him or her a chance to connect my face with my name.

Social Media

Believe it or not, all students will be forced to move out into the “real world” at some point in their lives. This realization may come across as harsh to some, but we cannot (or should not) live the college life forever. As the “real world” coincides with a “real job,” coming across as employable might not be a bad goal to set. A good place to start (assuming ‘showering daily’ is obvious) is online. Controlling how you are displayed online could possibly be the determining factor on whether you get a sought-after job or not.

Just the other day, a friend of mine told me that when he sat down with a corporate job recruiter for an interview, the recruiter had him open his Facebook page. The two discussed what was on the page, but, fortunately, just before the interview, he went through and "cleaned" the page up by "untagging" photos and removing comments from his wall.

Bottom line: Control what you say and do on social media platforms because you never know who may be viewing.

Choose the Right Crowd

While in college you will be forced to make many decisions (to put it casually). These decisions may seem small at the time, but they add up. The sum of these decisions will ultimately define the outcome of the rest of your life.

One important thing all young professionals should do is surround themselves with people that share similar career goals.

We have all heard stories of someone that has gotten caught up with the “wrong crowd.” Do NOT be that someone. The people you surround yourself with will be the people that help you excel to where or what you want to be. Choose your friends wisely. It is okay to befriend people that went to different high schools. In fact, by the time you are finishing your college career most of your closest friends will be those you meet in college, not your high school friends.

Customize Your Studying

I was asked to give some pointers on studying while in college, however, it is difficult to give straightforward advice. I believe to be successful in college everyone should customize the way they study to cater to their personal needs.

My roommate during my freshman year found it easiest to get up bright and early the day of an exam and cram at the last minute. He had success doing this, I did not. I tried the “cram method” once and realized while taking the exam that I needed to prepare much differently. I also realized, when I got the graded exam back from the professor (with a frowning face by my score) that everyone needs to have a customized study plan. As a student you should find out what works best for you.


I now start three days before the test by making flashcards with important terms or concepts, reading the textbook while highlighting important parts and continuously writing out acronyms that I have made up if there is a list of words I need to remember. I also need to study in an atmosphere that is very quiet. While I was living in the dorms I usually used the lounge area to study, but now that I no longer live in the dorms I use the library because I know nothing will distract me. However, some students are able to study in their dorm room or apartment and have much success.

My last tip for customizing your own study habits is to ask questions.The material you are studying may be foreign and hard to understand, so questions are inevitable. Professors and teachers are more then willing to help you by addressing your questions (most of the time) as long as they can see that you tried to answer the question yourself by reading the textbook or attending class.

Whatever method you decide works best, follow that method strictly and be careful not to start slacking as the semester comes to a close. Click here for additional studying tips from the Virginia Tech website.