"How to Make it in College: 6 Tips for College Freshmen"

1. It's ok to change your major or not have one.
-Freshmen year is meant to be a time of adjusting and learning about yourself.
-On average college students change majors 3 to 4 times.
-Don't let the pressure of not having a major rush you into a wrong decision.
-It is best to take basics at the start.

2. Your first 3 weeks set the pattern.
-What you do the first 3 weeks often set the pattern for your whole college life.
-Get into a regular pattern of classes, study, recreation and rest. Balance
is important.
-College infirmaries are packed at the 6 week mark with those who have not eaten
and rested right.
-Many fall behind during the first couple of weeks by not taking it seriously
and never recover class wise.
-Going to class is the easiest thing you can do to pass a class. The more you cut, the more likely you are to fail the class.

3. Choose friends by your priorities...not your priorities by your new friends.
-Everyone wants and needs new friends.
-In the rush to make friends freshmen often get with the first people they meet
and without thought begin to engage in whatever activities the new friends do.
-Decide what is important to you (grades, faith, etc) and find/choose friends
that share those priorities.

4. Emotionally go to college.
-Many freshmen do not have a good experience because they are not there
emotionally.
-Don't just hang around your old high school or plan your schedule around it.
-There is more to being a college student than taking classes. Decide to be
apart of it.

5. Become part of a group.
-Studies and surveys indicate the happiest and most successful students are part
Of a campus group that shares their goals and priorities.
-If you are a Christian, find and connect to a Christian group on your campus
at the start....don't wait. They will help you get started right.
-On more than 800 campuses there is a Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM, BSM, BSU) that
wants to help you have the best possible college experience. And, it's not just for Baptists.

6. If joining a fraternity or sorority is a possibility for you, consider holding off a semester, waiting for open bids or joining next year.
-This gives time to get adjusted to college.
-It allows you to have greater awareness of which groups you might best fit.
-Ask an upperclassman who is Greek why they joined and why it is a plus for them.
-Ask an upperclassman who is not Greek why they are not.