University can seem a little overwhelming, but here are some tips to help you succeed!
Try to make new friends in your classes! This will help you get comfortable talking to new people and also help you find a group you can study with, which can be so helpful in keeping your grades up. There are so many ways you can make new friends, even though it seems initially intimidating. Try sitting with someone else who is sitting alone. Often they are also looking for friends in that class! For icebreakers you can always start with a compliment, try to pick someone who has style similar to yours as this will make it easier to give a genuine compliment. From there you can branch off, for example, “Hey your top is so cute, where did you get it?” can be a great conversation starter because once they answer you can continue talking about that topic, other places you like to shop, where you’ve been finding inspiration for outfits lately, etc.
Another way to get talking to someone is to ask for help, maybe you don’t know where the water bottle filler is in that building, asking someone can give you the opportunity to fill your water bottle but also talk to someone and hopefully more than just that once. Ask your classmates about their assignments too, sometimes hearing someone else’s approach can help you figure out how to start the assignment yourself.
Outside of your new friend group, it’s important to keep your grades up. Many classes have tutoring options that you can go to if you need help understanding a topic or studying for an exam. Tutors are often very helpful as they have usually had to take the course and know how the professor structures exams and grades assignments. If your class doesn’t offer a tutor, there is writing help and walk-in math tutoring available at the library during certain hours. Another good idea is to find your own study spot somewhere you can go consistently, whether that be the library, a little nook somewhere, or your house, it’s helpful to have a place set aside for studying. Apart from the library there are good spots in the hallways of the Health Studies Building, there is a cute table near the window facing the HLC on the third floor of the Brodie Building, there is a set of couches by the Ancillary Offices near the window looking out to the beehives, and the BUSU student lounge is always a good place where you can study and warm up food in the microwaves if you need. As far as the actual studying goes, I recommend Quizlet! If you follow along the notes or your textbook and make questions for important terms this will help you remember them better and you’ll be able to go back and practice them. If you aren’t going to use Quizlet or flashcards of some sort, I would still recommend typing out a study guide from your notes and any other class materials (PowerPoint slides or the textbook). If you can get together and study with friends that is always a good time - while maybe not the most productive, it is still helpful, and if done well can help everyone learn the material. However, it can be hard to focus with your friends around so solo studying should be the go-to most of the time. I find group studying to be particularly helpful when all my friends work on something else, and we all put our headphones on and get to it as having everyone around you studying can help motivate you to study as well. During these first weeks everything can feel so new and exciting, but it’s important to not let that keep you from starting good study habits, October comes around quickly and then midterms and assignments can begin to pile up!
Lastly, there can be fun activities hosted on campus to attend like bingo, trivia, or jeopardy which usually take place in the Mingling Area or at Bailey’s. Included with your tuition is a gym membership for the HLC, so, if you like, you can make good use of it.