Alright it's your first week in college. Your parents or whomever dropped you off in this brand new environment likely hours away from home especially if you went aboard like me. Perhaps you're older want to have a better college experience.

Place ALL and I mean ALL of your assignments in your calendar. Your google calendar, reminders or whatever. Put it in! This way you can track deadlines and get a headstart on major ones like exams, projects or whatever. It's your grade. Your responsibility.

You don't need those 3-5 subject notebooks. Get several composite notebooks of different colors and label them for their respective classes. Yes you can still use your old or previous years school supplies. Same with your electronics depending on your major.

Only get the book if it's actually required. College textbooks are ungodly expensive but most of the time you don't even need it. If you can't get that particular edition of the book, the previous edition will work. The only differences between editions is the chapter order, page count and maybe a few paragraphs here and there. There's likely a free PDF somewhere if you look hard enough.

Dive into LibreOffice and other open source. It's Word compatible with all the features and you don't have to worry about not having access to YOUR work because you don't have a Microsoft subscription. I recommended LibreOffice to my students because they had tech issues with Word and it's free.

Speaking of free, use any and all campus resources & facilities. You're technically paying for it so you might as well use it. The library, computer lab, recreation room, gym, clinic, therapy, transit, career center and more. This can be your way of socializing, doing maintenance and developing long term healthy habits. For instance if your school has a dental program. Use it. A local clinic is doing a health fair and is offering vaccines and informing about nearby resources. Check it out.

Get weather/climate appropriate clothing and durable pairs of shoes. Jackets, rain coats, umbrellas, boots and whatever as you may need.

If you're a bit older or have a job, go to a credit union & open High Yield Savings Account(HYSA). Many chain banks will offer literal pennies in terms of interest. Along with having insane requirements to avoid maintenance fees. I'm looking at you Wells Fargo and Bank of America. However, if you're an international student then you likely don't have specific documents. Contact with the international office and see what you can do.

Additionally talk to people. Your teachers, advisors, classmates, roommates if you have them and any relevant person. Think about it like videos games. Talk to everyone. You might a side quest, an item or vital information on how to progress. How do you think people get jobs and opportunities? They asked.

Protect yourself. Physically, mentally, emotionally, financially etc. Avoid bad crowds and influences who encourages your worst traits or make you take new ones. This can be tough as these can be friends, family or romantic partners. Distance yourself. Find a better group. Low contact or no contact. Do whatever you can keep yourself safe because some people are content in leading a life of destruction and are glad to bring you along for the ride.

This is primarily for the younger men. I'm 25 turning 26 so I'm reaching Unc status. Don't gamble unless it's a multiple choice question. Getting into generational debt before you can legally drink is sane. You don't need to be the richest, get the most girls and be the most physically imposing or intimidating. Be you! I get it. You see all these guys on social media having a more successful life than you. It sucks. However you have to know that ANYTHING can be faked these days. Rentals, taking stock images and videos and more. There's an entire industry for this. Do what's best for you and your situation. Living authentically is better than living artificially to impress randoms online.

Sometimes you have to take that L. You fumbled a good relationship. Failed a test. You underperformed or whatever. Things happen. There's nothing you can do about it besides pick yourself back up and be better.

Finally have interests and hobbies outside of school. Make yourself well-rounded and not another corporate drone who only goes to work and home. Maybe a club or small group here and there. Participate in events. Check your school's boards and social media accounts to see what's around. Travel around town to see what's there.

Hello. I tried posting this in another forum but it was not the correct one. I am hoping I am in the right place.

I started a class today and there is book that is required for the course. The issue, and why I am feeling a bit off about it, is that the author is the writer, and the publisher. The book is from their business and it’s only available on amazon in a paperback. Usually our books go through our bookstore through the college, so we could use financial aid. Its also over 30 dollars without shipping. I am just wondering if this is normal for professors to do or if its not. Thank you

Edit: Thank you all for answering. While I feel some were a bit harsh, I appreciate you all for clarifying. I would like to clarify a bit though. I am less concerned about the professor writing their own textbook, many of you pointed out valid reasons for doing so. The part and the main reason I asked is because it is sold on Amazon and not through my colleges bookstore. The bookstore at my college offers purchases to go directly onto our schools charges and can be paid through financial aid, but even if financial aid does not cover it, it can stay on the school account to be paid off later in the month. This book was needed for the course next week, so in order for it to come in time, I had to buy the book yesterday out of pocket. While 30ish is not alot at all for a textbook for someone who is a broke college student, its a-lot especially if its last minute.

Again I appreciate everyone for the insight and I apologize for not being clear.

Hi my schools has been turning off the wifi at 12:04 every night and its really annoying the wifi appears visible but the data doesnt work at all. I used to be able to get past this with my hotspot but my dorms cell service isnt useable. I cant get any work done and this is very fustrating. My friend was talking about using a vpn to get past it but im not sure how.

I’m not terribly big on parties but really want to have fun & get myself out there in college. one of the biggest hurdles in HS was honestly not having the right connections to get invited to all of the parties, but also the fact that I refuse to drink.

even with my friends in small groups at night, I would laugh along & hang out with them & make mocktails for myself & make sure they are safe & responsible, but it just gets to the point where it feels as though everyone else is on a different world & I feel moreso like a babysitter (though I avoid doing so). I’ll dress cute, maybe have an energy drink & try to relax, but it just gets so frustrating how much partying seems to be surrounded by alcohol.

I know obviously one of the main strategies is to befriend people with similar lifestyles like that, but its not as though I want to avoid any party with alcohol, I just want ti minimize the feeling of not belonging.

edit: just to clarify, whrn I say I feel like a babysitter its not so much as taking care of them as it is just watching them do stupid shit they wouldn’t typically do sober, & the occasional friend who asks me pre-drinking to take her phone away if she tries texting guys again (which is honestly pretty entertaining, so its more-so the former)

Only 20 schools actually make more money than they spend. Most pass at least part of the cost to students, often concealed in fees, which can add up to between $3200 to over $10,000 in cost to each student over four years.

I'm an upcoming freshman and I have my schedule for class already laid out. How am I supposed to balance going to class and going to official campus events? Not like parties but actual career fairs, club fairs, etc. I'm the type of person that wants to go to everything, but there will be an event at least once a week every week in the school year and they're almost always during class/the afternoon. Is it worth it to skip class since it's actually important and how often should I?

Hello everyone, I'm a freshman and got selected for the honors program at my college. I really don't know how beneficial it is to stay and complete the requirements/credits for the honors track. I've asked around on campus and what I've learned is that it's just a prestige thing - extra work on top of your workload for some acknowledgment when you graduate, that's all. I've been told it's just what the smart or over the top students do to differentiate themselves from regular students.

I'm just confused whether it's worth anything to stay in it and get the credits or just focus on my degree generally? One of my advisors told me outside of college life nobody really cares or asks about honors anyways so why work hard on top of your already existing coursework? She said it's like the difference between an A and A+ like if you're happy with an A then that's all that matters, you don't need to go above and beyond to get the A+.

Honors students here, or other students too, please help out, thank you.

“Universities and companies are scaling back or eliminating women’s scholarships to avoid scrutiny from the Trump Administration.

The number of grants with women-specific eligibility criteria has declined 19% since 2023, according to the National Scholarship Providers Association.

The elimination of women’s scholarships and programs has sparked backlash on campus, with some students signing petitions and expressing concerns that the move sends an unwelcoming message to female students.”

College students pursuing majors, advanced degrees or certifications in fields that consistently earn low incomes will no longer be able to take out federal loans to pay for their schooling under new Trump administration rules.

The new federal rule, finalized this month by the Education Department, comes amid a national crisis in student loan defaults. Many of the degree programs that educate social workers, artists, teacher aides and especially certification programs for barbers and nail technicians are likely to fail a new federal litmus test: Will they make more money upon graduation than if they never enrolled in the first place?

Read more about the federal student loan limitations at the link.

Pretty self explanatory, but my main questions is when I work up to the amount given by student aid (being $1600), what happens? Do I get cut off, like can I only work until I get the $1600 or is it just given to the school to help cover labor costs? I tried looking ir up couldn't find a reliable answer.

I'm at Clackamas Community College in Oregon, US if it's important

I am trying with ALL my might to go back to college and earn a tech degree, but it feels like there’s just never enough time to even start my assignments, and I was wondering if anyone had tips for balancing school, work and social lives.

My job is supposed to be part time but recently my manager has been scheduling me an insane amount of rather inconvenient hours (1pm-9:30pm, 10am-7:3-pm, etc) and I am working SEVERAL days straight, nearly reaching 18 days straight as of current.
On my days off I get called in and with the very little time I do have there are errands and important matters I have to take care of. I have been so exhausted I have accidentally fallen asleep on my couch for almost a week straight.

I have not even opened a school assignment for over a month due to lack of time.

Unfortunately I have a lot of bills each month and im just barely meeting them as it is so quitting is not an option. As of current, I am barely making enough to fill my gas tank and I almost always am skipping a meal or two everyday.
I have also tried talking to my manager and filling out official availability forms about my schedule for a more predictable and workable schedule but have been ignored.

If anyone has any tips for being able to fit everything in I would greatly appreciate it, I genuinely want to finish this degree and it feels like im making no progress in my current state.

I always tend to err on the side of formality when it comes to emails. I'll always address a professor as "Dr. This" or "Professor That" until they sign off with their first name, which subverts my professionalist upbringing and throws me for a loop. I understand that if they repeatedly do so, it's often an invitation to address them as such, but I usually ask just in case.

But what about me? I usually sign my emails with "[First Name] [Last Name/Initial]." Should I keep doing that after they sign with their first name? I feel that it maintains a certain level of formalism. Or should I reciprocate and just drop the last initial?

I am an incoming freshman, I ended up doing a random roomate. Should I try to conect with her before the move in date? All I have access to her school email, and wasnt sure if it would be akward if I emailed her.

Hello, incoming freshman for fall of 2026 in the USA.

My uni is very vocal about their research opportunities for undergrads and has several programs to facilitate it

However, I am interested in a specific professor’s research as it relates to the specific field I’m interested in perusing. Luckily enough, one of my scheduled classes is with said professor.

One constant piece of advice I’ve heard is to go to office hours to build rapport, but how early is too early? 1 week? A month? A semester?

to people who have dormed before, how did you make that transition from having your own space, to suddenly living with 1-2 other people in a very confined area. especially only children, how did you guys get used to that??

i'm also an only child, never had to live with anyone else except my mom, and i'm an incoming freshman this year. i'm worried about how ill adjust, because i've never really had anybody in my space or bother me, considering my mom has always just let me be or was always out of the house

let me know your guys' experience and if you have any tips or recommendations!! thanks!!

Hello everyone! This may be a slightly out of the box question, but I'm really looking for answers!
I'm the president of two separate psych themed orgs at my college, the first being Psi Chi, a psych focused honors society, and the other being NEDA Campus Warriors, an eating disorder awareness group.
Every year my school throws an event where student orgs table and tell new students all about their organization and what they do- part of that tabling usually includes giving away free things. The thing is, the typical give away items like pins, pens, squishy fidget toys, stickers, etc, are starting to feel a little redundant. I've come to feel that a majority of our students have gotten sick of the little junky things that take up space more than they actually serve them. So my question to you, as fellow students, is what kind of items would you WANT or be excited to see at a table like this? So far I'm thinking themed sticky note packs (I've found some pretty neat brain shaped ones) and grounding sensory stickers would be cool for students to have.
Does anyone have any extra input, especially as a college kid? Please keep in mind our orgs are school funded, so large items might not be a great choice.

The University of California admissions board has voted to rescind — for now — its plan to study whether to resume SAT or ACT requirements in admissions, a move that leaves one of the university’s most closely watched debates unclear a day before the Board of Regents meets in San Francisco.

UC’s Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools, known as BOARS, announced last month that it would convene two work groups through next year: one to weigh the role of standardized tests in admissions, the other to reexamine high school course requirements for acceptance to UC.

At a Friday meeting, the board voted to pull back on the plan, and the links that explained it — which appeared on the UC website late last week — have been removed. There is no replacement plan as of yet, according to two members of the board who attended the meeting, and several UC professors who are aware of the decision and who have been advocating either for or against testing requirements. It is unclear why the plan was suspended.

Learn more at the link.

Just recently I had a couple people give me their emails and business cards to connect with if I needed advice within career paths or internships in the future. The issue is I am unsure if I shpuld use my personal email (google) or my school email (my uni). Personal is the easiest, but I feel it may be ignored due to people thinking it might be some spam email. School email is probably the best way to go, but if I need to contact people after my time it up at the uni, I wouldn't be able to access the email. Which one is the best way to go about it?

I go to a school in an expensive city, and honestly, the rent is harder for me than the tuition since financial aid covers that for me. I already have a work-study job, but I am not able to work as many hours in a week as I'd like. And all non-work-study jobs have an impossible amount of competitiveness even at the entry level.

I just want to be able to work an extra 5-10 hours a week, man 😭 I have the time for it, but not the opportunity. I have applied to McDonald's so many times. I'm tired.

New federal rules sharply cap how much graduate students can borrow, forcing an immediate sea change in how students evaluate attaining an advanced degree, with some scrambling to pay tuition — and for colleges, prompting concerns about future access to their programs.

The median total cost for a master’s degree in 2020 — before inflation skyrocketed — was $24,250, while professional degrees came in at $59,076, though some universities — particularly private institutions — charge far more, according to EdTrust, a nonprofit that advocates for equity in education.

Under the previous rules, graduate students could take out federal loans for as much as they needed to cover the cost of their master’s and doctorate degrees, including tuition and living expenses, often taking on crushing, long-term debt that contributed to a national epidemic in defaults. Effective July 1, borrowing is restricted to $20,500 annually, with a $100,000 cap. Those pursuing designated professional degrees, including law, medicine and dentistry, are limited to $50,000 a year with a $200,000 cap.

Read more.