Hello ladies,

I’ve joined the UniversityChic.com team to provide insight and advice on how to survive your college years. As a recent college graduate, I am excited to help you avoid the mistakes I made and encourage you to follow in my footsteps where I got it right. Whether you’re getting ready to start college in September or preparing for your senior year, I am here to answer all of your questions about your college experience. From the social scene and dorm life, to office hours and lecture halls, college can and should be an incredible experience in your life. So send me your questions, share your voice, and let me know how I’m doing. I’ll make sure to be here for you through the good and the bad, and no matter what you will survive.

Chic Love,
Ronica

Ronica,
I am starting college this fall. I want to know how best to adjust to college life and what mistakes to avoid during the first weeks of school.
-Concerned

Hi Concerned,

I vividly remember moving to the dorm my freshman year. I grew up in New Jersey, had just moved to Philadelphia and was suddenly living with two roommates from across the country. Even though I had only moved 40 minutes from home, I felt so far away. While I was going through that first year in college, I didn’t realize how special those times were. If I could do it all again I definitely would.

Make the most of it you only get one chance!

There are two important things to focus on during the first weeks of school (1) expect change, embrace change, and love change; (2) go to class!

* So what do I mean by all of this fancy talk about “change”? In my own experience I jumped right into college making the false assumption that everyone would be exactly like my high school friends. I was completely disappointed when I realized that no one around me resembled my friends from home. It took me a while to realize that even though the people around me were different, I could get along with them just as well as my friends from home. My new friends in college were there to show me how wonderful and diverse the world really is. Expect the unexpected and don’t be put off by situations out of your comfort zone.

(2)* Going to class might seem quite obvious to you now, but I guarantee that attending class will feel like a struggle during those first weeks of school. You’ll finally be away from home and you will be surrounded by so many things to fill your time that class will feel like an inconvenience and chore. So many students perform poorly during their first semester at school because they cannot balance their new found freedom with the responsibilities that their professors expect them to maintain. While you may want to completely ignore your lectures and buy books in October, it is important that you make class the priority that it should be. You’ll thank me later. By junior year, many students are still struggling to recover from their first semester of partying and slacking off. No one is telling you not to have an amazing time you should! Just remember to do everything in moderation.

Take this advice with you and ask anyone you meet for advice as well. You will undoubtedly excel in both the social and academic adjustments you are about to face in your life. Stay positive and good luck!

Chic Love,
Ronica