College Advice from a Freshman

     I don't know if you've noticed or not, but the new school year has begun. I have decided to attend a community college near where I live so I can stay at home and work. I have a few pointers that can help you on your first week of college.
     First, do your homework and find out which books that you need before class starts. Often the professor will start the class with an overview of the syllabus on the first day, but be ready on the second day to start learning. I made the mistake of waiting, and I was without my books my first week of school. If your required material is not specific to the college or university, try to find your books on the internet. I found all of my books on Ebay and Amazon, and I saved over 100 dollars on books.
     Second, if you are female, please don't wear high heels unless you were born in them and have been wearing them since 6th grade. It will just make you look like a freshman, and not to mention the pain. Try to look nice, but here at college, for the most part, no one cares what you are wearing. Men, there is a point in life where you realize that the saggy gangsta pants were not a good trend to follow. I suggest that you change that now. I do not want to see your plain boxers no matter how cool you think it is. Believe me when I say that saggy jeans are not attractive.
     Third, you absolutely need a laptop to survive college. If you can't afford one, I suggest investing in a tablet or setting money aside for a few months and consider purchasing one. I am taking 12 credits right now, in addition to my work hours and most of the time, my homework and tests are done online. If you need to wait, check out your local library or college library, and they should have some that you could use.
     Fourth, do your homework as soon as it is assigned. There will not be reminders about class assignments and tests given to warn you. If you get behind, it is extremely difficult to juggle both the current assignment and the late assignment in the time given to finish both of them. I have the lucky experience of AP classes and concurrent enrollment underneath my belt to know that there will be homework every single night. You should be checking the class syllabus regularly to stay on track. When you have a break before your next class, there is ample time to finish or begin a homework assignment, and you won't have to stay up late to finish it on time.
     Finally, and perhaps the most important, be yourself and make new friends. You will not find your high school friends here in college, so start fresh with a clean slate, and be the best you can be.
     I hope these tips will help you in the future to be ready to tackle the first week of college. In the meantime, relax and find joy in the moment.