“My advice is to join the Quidditch team and get BIG.

Seriously though I would suggest making time to work out. Sometimes you get super busy or stressed and you start to prioritize other things over your own health. Take time to get enough sleep, work out, or relax yourself. Other than that I think people should join lots of clubs (even clubs that you don’t think that you wouldn’t expect yourself to join). I never thought I would join the Quidditch team or the newspaper but it’s been the best parts of my time at Tufts. Don’t worry about making friends. It might take a while but it will get better and eventually you’ll find a group.

Also, if your school has a preorientation I would suggest doing it.” – Olivia Ireland, Tufts University

“The easiest way to find friends and meet new people is to join a team or club that promotes what you love. I joined an Indian dance team and I’ve made such amazing memories and found a family away from home through the dance team, full of people who love dance like I do.

You can’t expect to get the grades you got in high school, college is harder for sure. As long as you’re doing your best, you should be proud.”- Revathi Mohan, University of Virginia

“My suggestion would be to reach out to people. College is all about forming new relationships, so don’t hesitate to talk to someone in class or a hallmate you want to know better.” – Hannah Paros, College of William & Mary

“Some pieces of advice for your freshman year that I’ve learned through trial and error:

1.  8 am classes are not fun, avoid these if you can.
2.  Time management is the hardest thing to figure out— remember that sleep, exercise, and food are all important!
3.  Find a good place to study early on and make it a place just for that. I learned that studying in my room just doesn’t work for me, there are too many distractions.
4.  Your freshman year it’s easy to get involved in a lot of clubs and activities, but be sure to pick and choose a few to really commit to instead of spreading yourself too thin.
5.  Your professors are people too! Take them out to coffee, go to office hours, get to know them – these relationships can really pay off in future.” – Michelle St. John, University of South Carolina

“Don’t be afraid to try something new! Get involved with clubs or organizations that interest you and stick with the ones you enjoy. Challenge yourself academically but be sure not to stress yourself out. Self-care is extremely important to deal with any stress you have from school work and living away from home (yes, you will get homesick eventually). Eat well, be active, and find an outlet through your new friends, clubs, and activities to make your first year at college a memorable experience. Be prepared for a new learning experience with your first classes. You might find that your classes are taught different than what you’re used to and you will have to be more organized and independent. Absolutely see your professors if you have extra questions or are struggling with the work though! You will be surprised how far some of your professors will go to help you out and get to know you.” – Jason Vargas, College of William & Mary

“My advice to the Class of 2017 is develop good study habits during your fall semester of college because when spring semester comes around and you’re ready to go home you’ll have to mentally push yourself to stay focused during final exams week and having good study habits to fall back on will help a lot. Also have lots of fun your first year!” – Tenesha Green, Marymount University

“College is all about time management and finding the balance between having fun and studying. I learned that the hard way during my first semester because I would spend time with my friends who had less workloads. It took me a while to realize that I couldn’t be as social as they were because I just naturally had more work and studying to do. So the most important thing to do is to find a balance between socializing with friends and studying. Finding your method of studying is also really important because you could be wasting so much time if you’re studying in a way that doesn’t suit you since you’re not learning anything. Don’t be afraid to join clubs and meet people because those activities are also networking and meeting people can help you find jobs in the future. But overall, college is a great time and I personally think being apart of the Hokie community made me feel so comfortable with the transition. You also meet people who will be there for the rest of your life and even though you may have already experienced that type of friendship in high school, you have a different kind of bond with these people because they became a part of your first college year experience.” – Jan Saraum, Virginia Tech

“To incoming college freshman, don’t forget who you were when you get to college. New people and circumstances will undoubtedly influence your behavior and subsequently, your perception of self, but don’t estrange yourself from who you were before and who you intended to be. Even if your aim is to reinvent yourself and cast aside the flawed prototype that you built in younger years, do not discard your strengths and take on the persona you perceive to be king in your new environs because no persona will ever be king. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking of the social structure at your school in terms defined by high school, but instead think of something broader and more accepting. It is the mindset you bring to this new environment that will come to define it. So choose that mindset wisely.”- Jackson Kosmacki, University of Virginia

“Don’t be afraid! First semester might be rough because the adjustments to college life are huge, but put yourself out there and be confident in yourself. If you do that, you will make friends who appreciate you for who you are.” – Meredith Barber, College of William & Mary

“I’d say to give yourself time to adjust to school and don’t worry if things aren’t immediately perfect. Learn to appreciate your professors and peers and be open to everyone!” – Jenny Sutton, Colorado College

“Don’t be afraid to try something new. Try going to all the dining halls, join all the clubs that you’re interested in, and meet as many new people as you can especially if any of those things pushes you outside of your comfort zone.” – Audrey Boling, Virginia Tech