“Ummmm, is this the right place?”: Tips for Your First College Class

By Sarabeth

Ok, the first day of class is always a bit daunting. Everyone is looking at what you’re wearing, where you are sitting and if you have any breakfast stuck in your teeth.

It’s worse when it’s your first day of college: you’ve never stepped foot into these rooms before, your classes are ALL OVER THE PLACE, and there are so many upper classmen in there…staring at you (and the breakfast stuck in your teeth).

I could tell you it’s not that bad (because it isn’t!), but you wouldn’t believe me. So in an effort to help those of you who are stepping into the lecture halls for the first time, I’ve come up with some ways to survive…and avoid looking like the lost freshman.

The day before classes start, I make the habit of setting aside a few hours to go and physically find my classrooms. My campus is huge, and I’m always afraid I’ll get lost. I also usually have a friend go with me, just in case. But that way I’ll be sure to know where I’m going and I’ll know how long it’ll take to get there. It’s just my way of being prepared. This way, you won’t have to be embarassed asking people where to go or, worse, showing up late…and sweaty.

Once you actually get into the classroom, where you sit says a lot about the type of student you are. People in the front row are usually the over achievers. They’ll be the ones to ask when it’s time to choose study partners. People in the back you may never actually see again. That section is usually for the kids who show up late, those who plan to leave early, and/or those who think class-time is naptime. I tend to go for about the 5th row back. Close enough so I can hear/see everything, but far enough away to where I don’t have to answer the professor’s questions.

When the class starts there will be a lot of information thrown at you pretty quickly. If you want to save your reputation in the class, please, please, please don’t ask a million questions. Some stuff may be confusing and you might miss something, but that is why God created TA’s. Those would be the (more often than not) grad students who follow the professor everywhere. They won’t bite and you can – and should – go up to ask them all your questions after class. They know pretty much everything the professor knows, and they tend to be nicer about it. Too much question asking and hand raising leads to a cranky class and a cranky professor. And believe me, you REALLY don’t want to piss off the person handing out grades.

And finally: the question of laptops. I don’t know anyone who brought their laptop to high school, so most people aren’t used to taking notes by typing. But it seems to be the norm in college. I still stick with a notebook and pen; it’s just what I’m used to. But if you’ve been dying to be able to take notes by typing, by all means, do it. No one’s going to be there to tell you that you can’t.