Freshman year is all about new experiences. Be open to everything. That includes living in the dorms (a unique experience you'll never forget), making new friends from diverse backgrounds, getting involved in one of the hundreds of organizations on campus, and of course learning as much as you can in your classes. You'll only so much in class though and it's the experiences that really make college so interesting. Go to class, study hard, but also take as much time as possible to go out with friends and have a good time. You can work all of your life, college only lasts a few years!

The best advice I ever received was to get a job while in college. I was lucky in that I didn't have to work to go to school, but my first semester I spent most of my spare time watching tv thinking I had all day to study. I found myself having trouble with grades and tests. I decided to get a part-time afternoon job and discovered that I had to make time to study. It helped me out tremendously. I wasn't wasting my day away and procrastinating because I had to maintain an actual schedule once my classes were over for the day. It also prepares you for after college and gives you some experience to put down on your resume as you job search. There are many companies out there that do not want to hire someone straight out of college who hasn't had much work experience. Also, the longer you stay at a particular company, the better it looks.

Never be affraid to ask questions or get help as you need to. Professors admire a student who is dedicated and not ashamed to ask for help. But, professors do not like to help by giving extra credit assignments for low grades or missing assignments. Attend class, try your best, do homework and assignments, and professors will be more than willing to help you if you are willing to help yourself.

Go to class! Some professors may have no attendance policy, while others may have a very rigorous one. Some professors might even base portions of your grade on attendance. Either way, remember that you are in college to LEARN! There will always be the temptation to skip a class, especially since you probably won't have anyone waking you up and telling you you have to go. You are an adult now and you will be responsible for yourself. Also remember to rest. Chances are, you'll pull a few all-nighters, but try not to make a habit of it. It just makes it difficult to stay awake in class the next day. Remember that it is normal to feel nervous or anxious, but be yourself! Enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience and GOOD LUCK!!

Once you have put your foot in each class and know what's it about, you should know what are your hard classes and what are your easy classes. With the hard classes see if theres study groups in the classes and if not make your own up, because have people study with you helps out alot and remember to always put God 1st and school 2nd and personal life 3rd. Never be afried to ask questions to your teacher remember questions are not dumb unless you don't ask them.

Go for an A in every class your freshman year. You may be surprised how little the difference in effort is between settling for a B, or making an A. The classes only get more difficult and it's a whole lot easier to keep your grades up than to have to work at pulling them up. Doing well academically in your freshman year has lots of rewards and it is definitely within your reach. It's all about time management!

Always remember the main reason you are there. Study first, have fun later.

Don't worry about declaring a major right away -- chances are that you will change it a few times anyway, and there's no use wasting any of your hours on classes that you may not need in the future. Trust me. :) Also, don't expect to study like you did in high school to make it in college -- you really DO need to read the text. ;) Do not expect professors to bend over backwards to see that you make a good grade. Although you should never expect this, as a teacher's wife, I'm surprised at how often students expect their teachers to do this. One last thing... Although you should study more, make sure to not make it your entire life. There IS more to life than college. Yes, it's important. But no, it shouldn't COMPLETELY rule your life. But that's just my eight-two cents...

Don't go to college expecting it to be thirteenth grade. A lot of people go into school thinking they can just party their rear ends off and breeze through their classes. NO WAY! You'll have to study hard just to get a mediocre grade. As a college student myself, the best self motivation is to tell yourself you have to have a little pain now for a lot of "gain" in the form of a great fufilling career later. Oh, and you should go out and have fun. School is stressful and a release is needed every now and again.

Do not fall for the "free T-shirt" gimmick done by credit card companies. It is easy to say that you won't use the card when you get it but you will end up with 5 maxed out credit cards by the time you graduate simply because you wanted a "free" t-shirt.

There are always a thousand and one other things to do on campus other then class and partying... participate in as many things that you think you may enjoy because the connections and friends that you make in college are most likely the ones you will have for the rest of your life. Don't be afraid to do something new.

Don't give up! No matter what happens, finish and get that degree. You don't want to be in your thirties, which are some of your prime earning years, going back to school to get a degree. If you don't like your major, change it and keep going until you get a degree in whatever field is interesting and satisfying to you.

Take the time to open your mind to new concepts and ideas of your fellow students and professors. There will be no other time in your life that you will be with a group of people so diverse in ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, and life style. The true spirit of a university lies in the diversity of its students. Be willing to express your thoughts, but open minded and respectful of others' opinions.

Live in the doorms if you can; great time! You don't have to get into a fraternity or sorority to be cool or to meet people in college. I was in one, but not necessary. If you do get in one, live in the house if possible, but please don't fall victim to the tragedy of alcohol and sex and drugs. It's not worth it! Take your studies seriously, but not too seriously, after all there is more purpose in life than just learning and then making money. You will have more job opportunities later if you know how to communicate and work with different types of people rather than just knowing what your book says about some particular issue. All that to say take time to make new friends. Don't spend your school loan money on things you wouldn't spend your own money on because you will be paying for it later. Don't use credit cards unless they have at least 12 months no interest and you can back your purchases up with cash. And most importantly, college is a great place to get right with God, which is only through Jesus Christ. Don't neglect to read your Bible and to obey what is says. Acts 4:12 & I Timothy 2:5

Make friends, enjoy yourself and have fun, but remember that you are there to study and learn