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Avoiding Freshman Year Pitfalls

Think of freshman year as the foundation for the rest of your college career. It is a very important year! Do your best to get involved in your school. Joining clubs, playing intramural sports, and being at school as much as possible are great ways to make the most of your freshman year. A common misconception is that freshman year is a "transitional year" and doesn't really matter. This could not be any farther from the truth! Your grade point average is cumulative. Bad grades freshman year will hang over your head for the rest of your college career.

I. Stay at school as much as possible.
Freshman year is the most important social development year of your college career. It's only natural to get a little homesick and have the urge to go home. Try to avoid giving in to this urge and do your best to stay at school as much as possible. Some students, especially those that live close to their schools go home almost every weekend. This is a big mistake! It is hard to develop socially if you're not at school!

II. Avoid getting a job freshman year.
There will be enough to contend with freshman year, and you don't need any added stress or time constraints. Instead, concentrate on making new friends and doing well in your classes. If you must have a job, work just enough so you can pay the bills and have a little spending money.

III. Partying is an important topic to discuss.
Of course you will party at college, it's perfectly natural and there is nothing wrong it. The problems arise when partying starts to take priority over studying, or when you're not smart about how you party. There are countless stories of the guy or girl who got to college and went crazy on the social scene only to be gone in a year. It's true, and it can and does happen. The best way to avoid this is to talk about partying as a fact of college life.

Don't go crazy when you get to college. Always remember that you are there to study, and partying is nothing more than a social benefit that can quickly hurt your grades. Always give your classes priority over partying. There will always be more parties, but you will only have one chance to get a good grade on an assignment.

This is not high school anymore. When you go to a party you will not know everyone there. Keep your wits about you, and stay close to the friends you came with. All of this may sound a little scary, but people wouldn't have parties if they weren't fun! Be smart, keep your priorities straight, take everything in moderation, and you'll have a blast!

IV. Be smart with your money.
You worked hard to earn spending money for college. Don't blow it all in the first two months! Budget your money and be careful about how much you are spending. A great way to avoid over-spending is to put your money in two separate bank accounts. Put the bulk of your loot in a second account that cannot be accessed with an ATM card, checks, or a debit card. With this arrangement you won't be able to spend more money than you allow yourself to spend. Giving the majority of your money to your parents will also control your spending. When you need more money they will have to transfer the funds for you, and your money will not be readily available. Some students don't like the second approach because it does not grant as much freedom. Keep in mind that too much freedom can cost you a lot!

V. You're fresh meat for credit card companies.
If it hasn't already started in your senior year of high school, you will definitely notice it the second you step foot on campus. Credit card companies flock to new college students. A free T-shirt or disposable camera is not worth a bad credit history! Don't sign up for a credit card because you think you need one, or because it would be cool to have one. Shop around for a credit card as if you were shopping for a new car, and make sure to do a lot of research. There are endless options available for credit cards, and almost any credit card will have better terms than the cards offered on campus. Talk to your parents to see if they will co-sign on a card for you. If your parents are willing to do this you may be able to get a lower interest rate.

A debit card is a good alternative to a credit card. They are also (dangerously) easy to use, but the funds come straight out of your bank account. With a debit card you can't spend more than you have, or at least not much more. If you have your mind set on getting a credit card, get a secured card with a voluntary limit. These cards allow you to set your own spending limit. The perfect limit will give you enough spending power, and will keep you from getting into unmanageable debt.

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