Ten on Tuesday, the college freshman edition.

Ten things I would tell a college freshman:

1. Always sit at or near the front of the lecture room. This will help ensure that you pay attention, help you not miss anything, and if, heaven forfend, you need to throw yourself on the instructor's mercy at some point, s/he will at least recognize your face.
2. If you are a morning person, schedule your classes in the mornings and do your studying in the afternoons. That leaves the evenings free for [insert activity here].
3. If you are NOT a morning person, do not ever, ever schedule an 8 a.m. class. You will fail it. Guaranteed.
4. Take as wide a variety of courses as you can. You never know what will strike a chord or what knowledge may come in handy in later life. (Yes, there will be a later life. If you are lucky.)
5. Fit in some time for exercise. It relieves stress, enables you to concentrate for another hour, and helps avoid the Freshman Fifteen [pounds].
6. Try to confine your partying to Friday and Saturday nights.
7. Find a volunteer activity that can fit into your schedule.
8. Call home regularly. The check-writing bill payers will appreciate that.
9. Do not ever get so drunk you cannot remember what happened the night before. Even if you don't remember, others will.
10. Don't drive drunk and don't ride with anyone who is.

Comments

[soxanne]

Excellent advice, all of it.

[Chris]

Good advice... although I've always been a back row person, and I had the highest GPA in my graduating class. So... :)

[Carole]

A terrific list! I hope Hannah takes it all to heart.

[KittyMommy]

Corollary to #3: If your department only offers a class required for your degree at 7:30 am, sometimes you just gotta suck it up and deal.

[Kym]

Great, great list! I'm going to have Brian read it; I think he'll be more apt (at this point) to listen to someone (anyone) who is Not His Mother!!!!

[tinebeest]

And if you're starting on the Chinese course, cancel *all* parties now. :-) That's what we were told. Sheez, did I work my socks off that first year...