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Top 8 tips for New Students

1. Set aside time to get settled in

You need time to adjust to your new environment and settle in. Don't get too stressed if you are not able to manage your time and tasks perfectly from the beginning. You will be juggling a number of things other than starting classes and you need time to become comfortable.

College students move in day and help from the parents

2. Don't skip classes

At uni, no one is going to follow you around and make sure that you are going to class. However, you can easily be left behind the rest of the class if you don't attend the lectures and this may ultimately affect your grades. There are courses with mandatory attendance or participation being a large component of your final grade. Therefore it a good idea to attend lecture, even if you are not feeling well.

3. Don't get behind

There is a lot of information that can be put into a semester-long course and it is easy to fall behind fast. Staying on top of your weekly assigned readings, homework, or lab work will affect your study habits. However, go to lecture even if you have not finished all your reading because you will pick up more information than not attending at all.Haystack

4. Have a positive attitude

There is no need to be shy, awkward or anxious about attending new classes. You may feel out of place, especially if you are coming from a small high school, but you need to keep up a positive attitude and be confident in your abilities. Keep in mind that you have accomplished a lot up to now to get into the university and you will become more confident over time.

5. Ask for help

A big university campus can be very intimidating because it may not be easy to find your way around it. If you ever have any questions or you are lost, just ask someone for help. Pretty much every student you meet will either be a first year or already have been one and will understand what you are going through and be willing to help.

6. Take advantage of services and resources

Once enrolled in your University or college institution, you gain access to many campus services and resources. If you are having problems or difficulties, there is always a staff around to answer any questions and provide support. It is better to ask for help before you are in too deep because smaller problems can be easily dealt with.

7. Think and Plan ahead

The initial couple of weeks at your university may seem easy, but then there will come a point where many assignments are due in the same week. You should be given a course outline in all of you classes and this will have a list of the due dates of all your assignments.

Take some time off and write down these due dates in a diary, a wall calendar, your mobile phone, or Google Calendar so that you can manage your time more effectively.

8. Have fun and reward yourself

It can be difficult to see how well you are doing in your courses. There may not be many assignments to judge how well you are progressing or you may notice that you grades are lower than usual. Therefore it is important to reward yourself for any achievements you make. Take time off and have fun after completing an assignment, presenting to a class, attending your classes or just keeping a school-life balance.

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