Once you arrive at college, you'll find that everything - from the atmosphere on campus to the expectations of your instructors - is different from what you experienced in high school. The work is harder, the stakes are higher, and the rewards are much richer. One way to increase your success in college is to understand expectations and to begin preparing BEFORE you arrive on campus.

In this section, you'll find advice from current college professors who've seen the good, the bad and the ugly, and who want to make sure you end up in the right category. We have also gathered tips, tricks and other advice from college students who have been there - and survived! From studying abroad, to picking a major, to getting along with your roommate, their stories will give you an idea of the challenges - and the fun - you will face on campus.

• Go to the earliest orientation you can, so you get the classes you want.
• When you move in, try to get to know your roommate; if you don’t, you will regret it later. I didn’t really talk to my roommate at first, so now things are really awkward and uncomfortable.
• Figure out your route to your classes ahead of time, so you don’t get lost on your way to class the first day.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you are confused or don’t understand; if you are not comfortable asking them during class, ask the professor after class, or go talk to them during their office hours.
• Use your meal plan; if you try eating out for every meal you will go broke in a couple of weeks.
• Always go to class!! If you are not feeling well, go to class and then go back to your room. Not missing classes, even though you are sick, makes the professors more willing to cooperate if you get behind.
• If you have to miss class because of illness, get a doctors note. You will be able to make up any work that you missed.
• Make sure to take a class that you enjoy, otherwise your semester will be miserable!
• If you are having trouble in any of your classes don’t hesitate to ask for help; ask the professor or go to the AARC in the Library.
• Make sure to have fun, make friends, and get involved in clubs and organizations on campus.
• Do all the class work assigned by the professor.
• Get enough sleep, especially the night before a test.
• If you have problems with your roommate, for example: he/she is being too loud or won’t let you sleep, try talking to them about it; if it doesn’t get better talk to the CA on your floor.

To forget pain is to be painless; to forget care is to be rid of it; to go abroad is to accomplish both.
–Mark Twain

The Main question you need to ask yourself before deciding to study abroad is why? Why is it that you want to study abroad? It is best to go abroad primarily for a unique learning experience. It is never wise to go to escape from problems existing in the home situation.

Most schools have an International Study Abroad Office. Begin by scheduling a meeting with your office and take a look at different brochures they have to offer. Be sure to talk about financial aide and scholarship opportunities which you may apply for. It seems impossible at first, but I guarantee you if you want to study abroad you will be able to.

There are plenty of different ways you can study abroad. You can go by yourself as I did for a semester, go for a year-long study, a summer session, or a faculty led program.

These are a few things that I wish I would have done before my study abroad experience in London. I rejected the departure books, skimming over them assuming I would be fine. And really, for the most part I was. Your attitude going into the experience has a lot to do with what you’ll get out of it. I’ll give you some tips for things to do and avoid, and I’ll share a few cautionary tales from my own personal experience while trying to give you some cost saving ideas.    Click here for more about Katie's semester in London

How to Pick a Major by Erica Lopez (Biology Graduate Student)

(Download a MS Word file of Erica's story.)

Starting Out

Choosing a major can be a stressful activity, especially if you have no idea what you’re interested in or if you have so many interests that choosing just one seems an impossible decision. One thing you can do to start is to think of what you might like to do for the rest of your life. Better yet, you might try thinking of what you wouldn’t want to do. I know that sounds like a big way to start, but it might make narrowing down your choices much easier. For example, if you hate economic theory or being responsible for money in any way, then you could probably rule out any major under the College of Business. If you know you don’t want to work with a whole lot of people, you could probably rule out anything that falls under the category of social services or teaching. I took the long way to choosing a career field. I started out as a music major because I auditioned for a music scholarship and got one. Down the road, however, I realized that I preferred keeping music a hobby rather than making it something I had to do. Keep in mind that what you want to pursue might not necessarily been the thing you have always been good at. If you still aren’t sure what you would like to study, there is no shame in starting out ‘undecided.’ There are plenty of courses that are basic requirements for every degree plan. While taking your basics, you might find that you have a particular interest in a subject that you may have never considered.

Exploring

If you think you may have an interest in a field but aren’t 100% sure, you might try taking a course or two in that field but be careful! Taking too many extra hours may result in your loss of eligibility for financial aid and in-state tuition. That’s right: Even if you are a resident and aren’t receiving financial aid, you could end up paying out-of-state tuition and fees, effectively doubling your cost of education. That being said, you have some room to explore, but explore wisely. After all, doing too much exploring might keep in you in university longer and a longer-than-average university career might not look too impressive on a résumé.

How Did I Choose Biology?

In high school, I was a very active musician and cross-country runner, while Academics often took second place to my extracurricular activities. So when it came around to applying for colleges, I didn’t really know what my academic interests were. I had been getting offers from universities across the United States to apply for their music programs so I thought that auditioning for music scholarships was a good place to start. I didn’t want to stay too close to home, but I also didn’t want to pay out-of-state tuition. (Of course, I didn’t know then that at many universities out-of-state tuition is waived when you receive scholarships. This is something to keep an eye out for when applying for college.) Eventually, I ended up applying to Stephen F. Austin State University. It was a beautiful campus, and a nine hour drive from home. It was close enough to still be in Texas, but far enough away to keep me from being tempted to drive back home every weekend. It was also small enough for me to have confidence that I would be taught by professors who remembered my name and not just overworked graduate teaching assistants. I came to Stephen F. Austin State University as a music major, ready to start a career as a music student. As time went by, however, I realized that I wasn’t meant to have a career in music. For me, being a music student took all of the fun out of the music and I soon moved on to something else I had excelled at in high school: English. A full year as a music major turned into a minor in music and I went from playing music full time to writing papers full time. I became bored very quickly. One of my language professors suggested that I pursue more Spanish, so I added it as a minor. Later on, I saw fliers for a second major in International Studies and noted that you could count study abroad hours into your degree plan hours. Long story short, I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English and International Studies with minors in Music and Spanish. I earned so many credit hours that I lost financial aid and ended up paying out-of-state tuition my last semester. To top it all off, after graduating, I realized that I didn’t want to pursue a career dealing with any of my fields. So for the first time, I really started to think about what career path I would like to pursue. I remembered all of the fun I had in high school volunteering at the local zoo and sea turtle rehabilitation center and realized that perhaps I would like to pursue something in the field of Zoology. I realized that I could see myself working in an aquarium or at a zoo or conducting field research on a poorly-known species. After all of this soul-searching, I applied for a second Bachelor’s degree, but this time a Bachelor in Science. I qualified for in-state tuition again because I was starting a new degree, but I still couldn’t get any financial aid. It’s been tough working to go to school and my grades have suffered from both the extra hours I’ve put into work and the stress of making tuition payments on time while paying for food and rent, but it’s been worth it. I know where I am going now and soon I’ll have a degree that I know I can put to practical use while staying happy. I don’t regret having spent four years getting my first degree because I met some great people and learned a great deal, but I wouldn’t recommend that anyone else use this method of ‘finding themselves.’ The best advice I can give is to take some time and think about what it is you can see yourself doing in five, ten, or twenty years. Letting yourself just fall into place somewhere like I did is not always the best thing to do.