5 Reminders for Community College Freshmen

You've put in the time. You've submitted your high school grades, filled out the applications, worked hard on the placement tests, and now you're accepted into community college.

You're officially a community college freshman.

You've worked hard to prepare your mind, your body, and your parents for the challenges to come. Finally, you get to community college and you start work on your freshman year. You realize that community college is the real deal, that it is something you will have to maintain a good work ethic at if you are going to be successful in transferring to Ivy League and Tier 1 universities.

Though community college might not seem as easy as you originally imagined, it is definitely manageable. If you keep a few things in mind, you will enjoy your time there and make good grades too.

You're there to learn

Community college opens up a lot of free time compared to high school, which can be very distracting. It is important that you remember why you are attending community college in the first place, and keep enough focus on the academic elements of your experience. Don't count on pulling all-nighters and doing whatever it takes to stay awake; you’ll end up exhausting yourself quickly. But do keep in mind that you should spend a reasonable amount of time focusing on your school work. You really just need to experiment and test out the waters to gauge the best way to balance friends, family and studying. See why this is so important right here.

Don't freak out over grades

As a first semester freshman, you might always be scared that you are going to miss something important. Your major will ultimately determine your work load, and as your first semester goes by, figure out what you can and cannot handle. If you’re taking on too many classes, it’s more than likely that your grades all around will suffer.  Just keep in mind that most community college professors are accommodating, especially those who are teaching freshman classes. Don't get too worked up until you take a test or two.

Make good friends

Chances are that you will hang out with a few people during the first week that you will drift from throughout community college. Make sure that you are wise when choosing friends by only aligning yourself with those people who will make you a better person and student. Become friends with new people who are fun, positive, and likely to get you through conflicts, not create them.

Don't forget about reputation

Depending upon the size of your community college, you might know everyone or very few people. Still, colleges are not so large that your reputation is totally protected by anonymity. If you do something, be it good or bad, people will know what you did and you will likely wear the consequences. This is especially true in the age of social media. Keep this in mind as you make choices and interact with other people.

Embrace your student status

If you are a community college student, chances are you're on a relatively tight budget. Learning to eat and have fun on this budget is a rite of passage that every college student endures. Believe it or not, it builds character, humbles you, and makes you all the more appreciative when you go home for the holidays. Get used to living with less money than you have ever had at any point in your life. The sooner you learn this, the happier you will be.

About The Author

Melisa Cammack is a recent university graduate, receiving her advanced diploma, IT has always been a huge interest of hers, although her true love will always be writing. She hopes to be a published YA author in the coming years. Because of their excellent reputation, Melisa strongly recommends attending the Engineering Institute of Technology.