1

First Year
of
College
Guide
By: Shadiq Williams (CUNY Brooklyn College)
ShadiqW@NewDesignHigh.com

To share, copy and paste:

http://tinyurl.com/FreshmanCollegeGuide
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Introduction
First and foremost, I would like to congratulate you all for making it this far. As simple as
graduating high school may seem or feel to some of you, it is truly an accomplishment worth
acknowledging. I would also like to say congratulations once again if you have decided to enroll
in college and you have already been accepted/selected a school. For those of you that made
the decision to not enroll in college, it is definitely an understandable one. College is not the only
way to further your success and education so I wish those of you that decided to follow another
path the best of luck.
To keep the introduction as short as I can, unlike the rest of this, I’ll explain why this was
written in one sentence: The world you are about to step into is unlike the previous years
of your life. As a college student myself, I learned very quickly there is a lot of adaptation and
adjustment needed to transition from high school to college. Unfortunately, I have already seen
many students suffer from lack of preparation for certain aspects of college life and 8/10 times I
can honestly say it wasn’t their fault. My ultimate purpose for writing this? I don’t want any of
you to suffer from the kind of avoidable misfortunes like many college students including myself.
There are things about college I want you all to be aware of and prepared for before you even
step foot in a classroom so this is my way of giving you insight from students that already
experienced what you are about to; your first year of college. I also ask that you please
disregard the fact that this is a very long document. I actually never expected it to become
what it did. But yeah..this is really long and I understand if you decide not to read it all at once
so I split it up into 4 sections so you can decide what parts you want to read: “The Beginning”,
“Social Life”, “Academics”, and “Surviving College/Other Tips”.
I will like to say I strongly advise you read all of this at least once. I know some of you
may be hardheaded and go against some of the advice here or maybe you will forget, but the
intention is not to make you the perfect student. We, the students that helped create this and
myself, just want all of you to understand what it is going to take to make it through your first
year of college with the least amount of struggle and frustration. With utmost sincerity, I wish
you all good luck in college and beyond.

The Beginning
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● Visit/Explore the Campus and its Surroundings!!

It seems like one of the hardest things for those going from high school to college is
being in a new environment. This could mean being around people you normally don’t interact
with (usually people outside your race/culture/etc.) or meeting more people like you. If you
actually go to your new college a few times it will feel normal when you start classes and you
will also learn what the new commute is like (this is generally for people living off campus). Pay
attention to how long it takes you to get there. If it takes you an hour, pretend it takes an
hour and a half (or maybe an hour 45 minutes) so you can make up for waking up late, bad
hair day, falling asleep on the bus/train, etc. Also, be aware of where your school is and the
ways weather affect that area.
Exploring the campus will make you a lot more aware of where certain things are
like the buildings, exits/entrances, etc. If you can, put a copy of the campus map on your
phone or something like that. Believe me when I say once classes start, there will be new
people swarming around any and every map on campus. Familiarize yourself with the place.
Once you're familiar with your surroundings and once you have free time (maybe in between
classes) wander around campus. There's a possibility that you can find a shortcut to your
class or other places on campus. You might even find places that you may need to return to in
the near future ahead of time. Look for things that seem important. Bulletin boards, offices/areas
with a lot of people, you may end up returning to them.
Lastly, become familiar with the area around your school. This can mean finding
places to eat, acknowledging where you should not be at certain times, knowing the chill spots,
etc. For those of you going away, this is especially important. You will be somewhere you
more than likely have never been before! Don’t pretend to be Dora the Explorer and roam
around too much, but still have a solid understanding of the culture, geography, people, etc.
around your campus.

● Go to Freshman Orientation!!
Orientation should allow you to explore your campus (for what could be the first time if
you didn’t go on your campus any time before orientation) and actually help you start feeling like
you’re in college. You may meet some important people before you even sit down in a
classroom or you may learn something you might not have found out otherwise.
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A personal example: During my orientation, my tour guide was someone from the
department I was interested in (Computer Science). He sent me an email with all the different
Computer Science majors (and minors) that had descriptions and all the classes needed. This
was amazing because it put me ahead in terms of knowing what I need to graduate
compared to other freshmen. Of course, going to your orientation does not automatically
mean something like this will happen but don’t rob yourself of that kind of advantage. Just go to
orientation. There’s nothing to lose besides maybe a few hours at home. It’s for your own
benefit. Oh, and sometimes you get free stuff...just saying.

● PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE SET UPS!!

Listen, there’s no need to sugar coat this; you’re going to have moments when you’re
going to feel like there is some kind of master plan to keep you from succeeding from time to
time. Once again, this isn’t high school..for the most part the “adults” won’t go the extra
mile for you just to make sure everything goes well (I will address this later). I’m not saying
you need to be paranoid, but just look for situations or things that could make you say “oh nah,
they tryna set me up.” As you will find out, critical thinking is going to be mandatory in college;
inside and outside of the classroom.
Personal example: My college makes us declare a major when we complete 60 credits.
By then, if you didn’t already know what major you wanted to pursue, you may have taken a
bunch of classes that are not required for the major you want. What does that mean? IT WILL
TAKE LONGER TO GRADUATE or you may have taken all the liberal arts/core classes that you
need (Science, English, Math, etc) and all you will be left with are the major classes. Depending
on your major, it can be VERYYYYY frustrating to have nothing to balance out those classes
every semester. Things like that, you need to look for. However, that is just one school. Many
others don’t put you in that kind of position and some may put you in worse.

Social Life
● Ask Questions
Do NOT be scared to ask a question. This is one of the examples of being proactive.
Asking questions can save you more times than you can imagine. If you’re even the slightest
bit unsure, ask someone! You’re a freshman now; you won’t know everything. Don’t let ego or
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shyness allow you to be confused, misinformed, or underinformed. This is especially

important in the classroom. If you don't understand something, then let the professor know.
Don’t want to put yourself on the spot in class? Ask after class and/or go to office hours
(more about this later)! Let your professor know you care about your grade and you're always
interested in going the extra mile to further your understanding. Most importantly, asking
questions can keep you from falling for certain setups that can screw you up.

● Be Yourself
Sounds a bit corny or cliche, but it’s really time for you to be yourself in college. Your
teenage years are coming to an end and you’re about to be an adult soon. In elementary school
through high school, you may have felt pressure to be someone or something you’re not, but
maybe you found yourself by your senior year of high school. If you’re anything like me, you
learned a lot about yourself and people during high school and changed a lot. Don’t go into
college feeling like you have anything to prove like your previous years of school.
1. It’s obvious as hell when someone is putting up a front, pretending, or trying too hard.
2. It would be a waste to have spent your life finding yourself to start all over.
I have also realized in my first year of college that when you just BE YOURSELF you will
quickly find people that like who you are for just that, who YOU are. You will find people
like you when you stay true to yourself.
Personal example: I’m a gamer but I never played the games most of my friends did or
really expressed my interests very much. When I came to college and found out there was a
game room, I went there during my first week and met nearly a dozen people. This happened
just from staying true to my personality and knowing what I like. I met a bunch of upperclassmen
and most importantly, I met people that are pursuing the same major as myself. This means I
already have people that have taken the classes I need to take and know the ins and outs.

● Don’t Be Cocky
Enter college a confident AND humble individual. I mean this socially and
academically. Academic cockiness/arrogance means trying to talk over or argue with
professors, overpowering the voices of others during class discussions, etc. Plus, you never
know who you’re interacting with. Long story short, just be a good person and don’t make
enemies because you feel like you make a statement about yourself. Let POSITIVE actions
define you.
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● See New People, Meet New People

Like I said, you never know who you might meet in college. There will be people from all
over. What you will quickly learn about life is CONNECTIONS MEAN EVERYTHING. You
never know. You might meet a new/future business partner, someone that could get you a job, a
tutor, and other things of that nature. Don’t deprive yourself of opportunities. On the more
obvious side, let’s be real; You don’t want to be somewhere and not know the people. You have
to feel comfortable and meeting new people is one of the ways to get comfortable. Like
everywhere else, there will be people you like and people you can’t stand. Get used to it.
Start being able to identify people that you can benefit from.

● Be Active on Campus!!
Don't be one of those students who come to school and go straight home. Try to get
involved in a club whether it’s academic, cultural, or something for fun like a dance club, art
club, etc. Not only will you be an active student, but you meet new people and network!
Getting involved in clubs will help your resume and keep you busy. Also, try to volunteer in
school (like orientations, school events, etc). You'll have the opportunity to meet the staff on
campus which is a BIG BONUS. You'll be able to get recommendations and be recognized in
the future. Just to be clear, being active doesn’t have to mean poking your face wherever
you physically can. If you’re a low key person, find clubs that match who you are.
Personal Example: I joined a group called the BLMI (Black and Latino Male Initiative)
(Note: For those that know me personally/went to NDHS, this group is like the Gentlemen’s
Group) Why am I telling you this? I got paid for participating in their seminars and met SO
MANY amazing people. Be active. You never know what you might come across.

● Don’t Knock It Before You Try It

I mean...pretty self explanatory. You’re young. Take risks while not being reckless,
but enjoy yourself. MAKE..GOOD..CHOICES!!!

● Find Adults/Staff That Will Help

You need to be able to differentiate between those who WANT to help and those
whose JOB is to help. There will be adults that are very passionate about students’ success
and any adult that you make a bond with is bound to be willing to help you out too. This can
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only happen if you go out there and meet people. Find clubs, talk to the professors, the
advisors, etc. One way or another, you will find people that will help you. Also, talk to
people in your classes. You may become friends with an upperclassman that can give you even
better insight and advice than I and the students I asked to help write this are right now.

● Meet Your Professors 1-on-1

Unlike high school, your teachers won’t force themselves to get to know you. Some
of them won’t even care to know your name. You need to introduce yourself to them and make
yourself a face they can match with a name. For the most part, you will only have like 16
weeks (1 semester) with a teacher so they won’t have much of a chance to get to know you and
this can be a problem when it comes time for letters of recommendation. Professors do not
forget the names of students that are active and consistently participate (at least not
during the semester..I can’t make any promises about afterward). The other benefit of this:
Some professors may be a little more willing to see you pass. If you don’t understand what I
mean, if your professor likes you they might be a little more lenient when grading you or
not give you a hard time under certain circumstances. I’m not saying bring them an apple
everyday and sit right front their face every class with a smile because that will be creepy. All
I’m saying is there will be professors that won’t give you hell if they got to know you a little bit.
Remember, it’s a human being that’s teaching you.

TIME MANAGEMENT & ORGANIZATION (!!IMPORTANT!!)

If you're not good with organization then get good at it. Organization will be your
best friend during your college years. Try keeping a copy of your class schedule on your
phone/iPod/iPad/tablet. It’s easier and more convenient than carrying a piece of paper and
possibly losing it or somehow destroying it. Make use of any form of planning you can
abuse. If you like having physical copies of things, get a notepad, planner, and/or
calendar and write things down!!! Due dates, event dates, exam dates, anything that needs
to be remembered. Your professors WILL NOT ALWAYS REMIND YOU! If you’re like me
and you know you won’t check those things, your phones have them too!
My personal tricks: At the beginning of the semester when a professor gives a syllabus
(basically a course outline for the semester), I put all the important dates on my phone/iPod
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calendar and make it remind me a few days before and the day before. I also put any kind
of not-school-related things too (these can range from practice hours (for sports teams), to
babysitting, to work hours depending on your personal life). This allowed me to see when due
dates for assignments and/or dates of social related things overlapped. I also had “To-Do
Lists” where I knew I would see them every day; my iPod. For those using
Apple/iProducts, USE THAT “Reminders” FEATURE!!!! The ultimate benefit: It keeps the
“what do I have to do?”/”UGHH SO MUCH TO DO AND I DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START!!”
thoughts out of your head. Do whatever it takes to stay ontop of time. If you have to paint a
monthly calendar on your wall and stick Post-It Notes on it, do that! You need to know what
methods of organization make the most sense for you personally.
More personal tricks: I use a multi subject notebooks for classes/subjects with
levels. Why? Because with subjects like math, you can have all your notes from previous
semesters whenever you need a quick refreshing of your memory. Make sure your notes are
organized and legible. I use different colored highlighters/pens and symbols like stars or
underlining to identify important notes. Little things like that will make a difference.
It cannot be stressed enough how crucial it is to manage your time. As a college
student, you’re going to want to have a life but you also want to pass the classes you’re paying
for. Remaining organized and managing your time will be the best thing you can ever do for
yourself as a college student. During your moments of temporary insanity (which will be
discussed later), these things will help you keep your head on straight. Remember you want to
have fun partying and all that good stuff while aiming to be successful. Make sure your
choices are wise and thoughtful ones when it comes to living your social and academic
lives.

● Advice for living on campus/going away from home

*Note: Based on conversations with people that went away for college, I can safely say, you have to
take ALL OF the advice that I give to succeed in college away from home. Time management,
decision making, studying, being active, understanding your surroundings, saving/making money
are all twice as important, if not more, if you’re going away. The following is what college students
that went away decided to write...*
Get your priorities straight. When you go away, you’ll have a lot of freedom and
you can get carried away with it. You’re on your own and have no parents to keep you in
check 24/7 for the most part. You may want to take too many naps and not get your work done,
so you need to find your own motivation..
Although it seems obvious, don’t procrastinate! Procrastinating means you can’t have
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fun. There will be a lot of parties once you go away. If you procrastinate, you won’t be able to
go out because you know that you need to get certain assignments done. Get your work done
throughout the week. This way when the weekend comes you can just go out and blow
off some steam at the parties.
If you end up with a roommate, try to build the best relationship you can with
them. You don’t have to be best friends, but you will definitely need to be cool with each other
because you are living with this person. They could help you and you can help them. Your
roommate can be the person that regularly keeps you in check. Most importantly, having a
relationship with your roommate can keep you from feeling alone.
Make sure you get involved on campus. ESPECIALLY since you’re going away,
you’re going to need something to do with all that freedom you will have.
General Tips:
○ Have condoms (seriously though).
○ Learn how to be independent.
○ Keep in touch with your REAL FRIENDS & FAMILY (They’re the only people
that will have your back in the long run).
○ Have a general understanding of what you want in life before you go away
to college (If you don’t, then you may not be motivated).
○ Don’t follow crowds; be a leader.
○ Keep a small group of friends, the more you make the harder it will be to
stay focused.
○ Try to sleep and get to class on time.
○ Manage your time.
○ The freedom will make you crazy so try not to have too much fun.
○ Learn how to adapt (If you don’t want to then you DON’T belong there).
*NOTE: This is my warning to you all that are going away: MAKE SURE YOUR
DECISIONS ARE VERY WELL THOUGHT OUT. I have a friend that had Marijuana in
their room and their roommate, who they thought was cool, reported them. My
friend got “dismissed” (expelled) from that college. Don’t do it to yourself. It is not
worth it. If you are on the other end of a scenario like this, please gauge the
situation responsibly and consider approaching the individual before taking
further action. We all want to come to college, do well, graduate, and succeed. Try
to be kindhearted*
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Academics
● Find Out The Graduation Requirements
Every school is different so you need to be familiar with what you need in order to
graduate. No one gives you a schedule and tells you “pass these classes and their tests”. This
information should be shared with you during orientation, but it’s still something you should
familiarize yourself with on your own. Having it told to you and looking it up on your own are
different because when YOU make it your business to find out, it will stick with you.
Make sure you are meeting with your advisor EVERY semester to keep you on
track and make sure you're not taking extra classes. Knowing exactly what to take will keep
you from having to “withdraw” from classes and put W’s on your transcript (which is not a good
look).
If you already know what you want to pursue, you want time to actually fit in all the
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necessary classes you have to take. Keep in mind, there can be instances where a class you
may need is only given during a fall semester or something. If you don’t take these kinds of
things into consideration, you will find yourself super stressed. This tip revolves around BEING
PROACTIVE.

● The Assignments...
The major difference between college work and high school work is the amount of
concentration you will need to complete assignments. We all got away with half assing our
work in high school, but you actually have to try in order to do your college assignments and get
good grades. There is nothing super stupidly insanely hard about college work. The only
things that can be stupid insanely hard about them are how long they will take to complete
and/or how much effort it will take. Once your time management is on point, this will not be
an issue. We have all heard stories about the miracle all nighters that people pull off, but the
fact of the matter is most people wouldn’t have to do that if they just managed their time
better.
It is important to note you won’t always have a ton of work to do for every class like
you did in high school. For those of you that read this and saying “YAAYY!!!”, that means every
little thing holds more weight in your grade. For example, if essays are worth 50% of your
grade (meaning not doing any brings you down to a 50) and you have 5 essays for a class,
every essay might be worth 10% (50% divided by 5 papers = 10% each) of your grade, so
missing one will only bring you down from 100 to a 90. If you have 2 essays for the whole
semester (50% divided by 2 papers = 25% each), missing one will bring you down from 100 to a
75. Knowing how much weight every assignment holds in your grade is also very
important.

● Office Hours/Studying/Tutoring
When you need help, GET IT!!! Office hours are a real thing in college. Professors
have designated times that they will be in a particular room willing to help you out. Make sure
you know them!! Communicating with your professor when you need help will only benefit
you.
Random stories: I met a guy (one of the very good writing tutors on campus that I came
across because I was active/curious and found the BLMI) and he told me he passed a class
once without taking the final because the professor already knew for a fact he was familiar
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with the material. How? He was always in office hours.

That same day, a professor told other students and I that he would bump a student up
from a C to a B+ if they went to office hours and communicated. Why? Because he
understood for whatever reason, assignments/exams don’t always reflect what a person
knows/has learned. Not saying these things will definitely happen but why cheat yourself of the
chances?
I wish I could stress how crucial studying is in college. Like I have said multiple times,
this is no longer high school...you NEED to put in the effort to succeed. Review notes, ask
professors if they’re willing to give copies of previous finals/midterms, etc. Make sure you’re
learning. Just reading notes doesn’t = learning. Talk to people about the material. If you can
have conversations about the stuff, you have a grasp on it. Make study groups with people
that have a weaker grasp on material and those with a stronger grasp. If you can explain to
people that need help, you obviously understand it. When you need help, you can ask the
person that knows how to explain. Doing this will benefit all of you. MANY SCHOOLS OFFER
FREE TUTORING!!!! Abuse that!!

Surviving College/Other Tips

● Saving/Finding Money
College...will drain your pockets. Once you start realizing all the things you have to pay
for, you will be waaaaayyy more conscious of how much money you’re spending and how often
you’re spending. Another thing you will realize is a lot of your professors will assume you
have money to spend on command. You’re going to need ways to get around paying full price
for things.
○ Find out if any of the books you need can be downloaded
○ Renting textbooks is also a lot cheaper, especially for those classes that you
don't need to keep the book.
○ Selling books doesn't give you nearly as much as what you paid for it if you got
it full price, but you may be able to sell it to someone unaware of all these
possibilities and get back a closer amount to what you paid.
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○ Checking your library for the book or photocopying pages you need from a
friend or the library if you cannot take the book off campus.
○ Scholarships. Never stop applying for them! There are scholarships for just
about anything. Also, what can be better than getting money simply for meeting
certain criteria? The only thing is, scholarships will not be handed to you.
You must go out and look/work for them on your own. This is a part of being
proactive and making certain things your own responsibility/priority.
○ Work study is essentially a job on campus that allows you to make some
money while still having opportunity to study and from what I have heard, they
tend to be really easy money. Find out where and how to apply for work study.
○ Internships, for those of you that don’t know, is kind of like working as an
assistant or a mentee for a company or something. They are kind of known as
“working for free”, but a lot of internships pay.
○ Financial Aid...DO IT. FAFSA and TAP will be life savers. Even if you don’t get
much, money is money. And more importantly, if Financial Aid covers you
fully/partially and you still have TAP money left over, you still get it.
It’s important to start thinking like this in order to save money all around; not just
on books/supplies/classes. Best example would be bringing your own food. Why spend
money everyday on McDonalds or Starbucks when you can make food/drinks in the comfort of
your own home?
Start thinking two (or even three) times before spending money and finding two or
three ways to rack up some extra money besides having a job. Make sure the choice
you’re making is the best one.

● Be An Overachiever
Unlike high school and prior when trying to do good in school can lead to you being
made fun of, you are actually kind of an outcast in college if your goal isn’t to achieve as
much as you possibly can and do your best. This crap costs money so you need to make
sure you’re getting a bang for your buck. Don’t try to achieve the bare minimum (more on this
later)! Go above and beyond! As sad as it is, a big chunk of your life can be dependant on
how successful you are in college. You have to be your own first priority and want to be at
the top of your game at all times. Who cares if you spent that extra 2 hours proofreading that
paper you finished with 3 days to spare? Who cares if you did all the math problems when the
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professor said only do the odd ones? You WANT that A, so push yourself to do more! When
extra credit is offered, take it! Oh, you already have a B+ in that class, GET AN A-! You’re
already a few points away..why not?!

● Be Demanding
Remember, it’s YOUR education that is being paid for. From my personal
experience, in order to avoid being screwed over in certain situations, you have to prove to the
“adults” in your college that you’re not just another clueless freshman. You will find
yourself getting the short end of the stick every time if you let people walk all over you and push
you in the directions they want you to go so you can get out of their face.

● Start Learning Discipline/Moderation/Self Control

You will have so much more freedom in college than you will even realize
sometimes. Professors aren’t on your tail every time you’re late or absent, you can step out of
class whenever you want, things of that nature. It’s your responsibility to be aware of when
you’re making certain decisions because no one is going to be there to let you know
you’re screwing up.
Example: In college (or at least my college), 2 latenesses count as 1 unexcused
absence. On average, you’re allowed..let’s say..3 unexcused absences before it harms
your grade. They’re not going to let you know when this happens. YOU need to be able to
discipline yourself.
Being on time is super important in college. When a professor says a paper is due at the
beginning of class, THEY MEAN IT. Walk in 5 minutes late and they started a lecture, your
paper more than likely will considered late (depending on your relationship with them).
You have to be able to moderate yourself. There has be a balance between social
and academic. Too much academics, you will reach the end of college and realize you had no
fun. Too much fun, you will reach the end of a semester and realize you learned nothing and
your grades aren’t very good. Be mature! You’re in control of more things in your life than
you once were. You have to be able to tell yourself “Okay, enough of this for now” when you
feel the time is right. Moderate how much you party and how much you study. Moderate how
active you are in class. If you feel like you’ve participated A LOT, take a step back for a bit. You
see where I’m going with this.
One of the most genuine things I can tell any college student is learn how to choose
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your battles. College will consist of a lot of hard decisions and overwhelming situations. It’s up
to you to make the call that something just isn’t worth the amount of effort you’re about
to spend OR when something is worth way more effort than you’re spending. There will
be some arguments not worth having and some that you must stand your ground. There will be
times when you have to sacrifice a few points in that class you have an A in to get a C+ up to a
B. Choose your battles. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard conversations like “I
gotta skip _____ lecture to study for my _____ exam after that class..I have like a B+ in that
class so I can make it back up”. I can’t front either; I’ve had moments where I had to make a
decision to not do an assignment so I can study or write a paper for another class. That’s just
the nature of life and it always will be. Please, make sure you choose your battles wisely.

● Schedule Tips/Enrolling for Classes

One of the things I believe catch people off guard is the fact that you make your own
schedules now. Making good schedules all goes hand in hand with a bunch of the tips above
(time management, finding out what you need to graduate, moderation, etc.) and your own
creativity. *Note: Your very first semester, you may or may not make your schedule or your
options may be more limited. By your second semester you should be on your own though.*
Have an understanding of what days/times you work or plan on working, when
you want to chill, when you know you are most tired/least motivated, and when you’re
most motivated.
Suggestions:
○ Not a morning person? Don’t take 8AM classes
○ You tend to have long days AND you can wake up early, take early classes
○ Try to avoid taking too many science and math classes at the same time
○ Put gaps between classes on your most flexible days. Having like an hour
between classes gives you time to hit the library and do some work while you’re
still on campus
○ As tempting as it is, DO NOT PUT ALL YOUR CLASSES ON 2 OR 3 DAYS!!
You WILL end up having tests and assignments due on the same days!!
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○ If you can, take Fridays off. Thursdays are like a college student’s Friday. A lot
of things tend to happen on Thursdays.
○ Mix your major classes with the general education/core classes. Take too
many major classes at once, you will end up stacking up on stuff like math,
history, science, etc. and it will be boring. Take too many general
education/liberal arts/core classes, you will be overwhelmed with the amount of
major classes you have to take at a time.
○ Try to find a way to get a calendar-like view of your schedule. You may
either have to make one or find a website to help.
○ Become familiar with the “language” of your schedule. Example: The
schedule below was my work/school schedule for my second semester. NE 214
= Ingersoll Hall Extension, Room 214. A 3309 = James Hall, Room 3309. ENGL
1012 = English Composition 2. CLAS 3200 = Greek/Roman Mythology (Classics
department). If you have a copy of the campus map, it will help you out.
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 18

● Stress/Emotion Management
College can and will often feel like a very overwhelming experience. More often than
not, you’re going to be caught up with school and your life outside of it. I can honestly say
college has been one of the most intense, nerve wracking experiences of my life and it gets to
me sometimes. However, what separates students is how they choose to handle these
emotions. Time management will help with this because that sense of organization will
keep you from having scattered thoughts about when things are due or when you have
things to do.

● Focus!!!
You made it this far right? Stay focused. Keep your eyes on the prize. This is going to
be an uphill battle but you can do it! Don’t let yourself get discouraged; just bounce back
harder. When you fall, get back up stronger. Don’t give up!

● Proper English!
Learn to incorporate it into your everyday lives from now on. Texting, social media,
and talking included. Why? Practice makes perfect and if you consistently speak properly,
you won’t have to worry about adjusting in the classroom, on assignments, during
interviews, etc. You never know who you may end up talking to from this point on!

● Outlining Essays
PLEASE, OUTLINE YOUR ESSAYS!!! It will help you! I used to think “I’m a good
writer...I don’t need to write an outline”. Then I got a C on my first paper. Every..single..paper
afterwards was outlined and I have not gotten below an A. The next page is an idea of what
your outline could look like *Note: I did not write for the conclusion..that part, you can kind
of freestyle. It should sort of look like your introduction in reverse.*

Intro
 19

-General Statement: Something general and related to the topic you’re addressing in the paper but
without mentioning the book itself (ex: If your paper is about how violence at home can make a person
violent you can say something like “As a person grows up, their surroundings can influence who they
become”)
● Break down the statement until you reach the part you want to concentrate on
○ Point 1
○ Point 2
○ Point 3
○ Concentration
(This means make the statement less general basically so like point 1 could be something like
“whatever you’re exposed to as a child can be seen as normal”. point 2 could be “The things children see
at home as they grow up can have an effect on who they become” etc etc etc. The concentration would
be the final point that you will use for the whole paper. ex: if a person is exposed to violence at home as
they grow up, they are more likely to become a violent person)

-Introduce the book

● Name of the book/author
● VERY BRIEF context of the book
○ how this book relates to the “Concentration” of your general statement

-Thesis
● Book + Concentration (ex: [author’s name] proves the idea that early exposure to violence
influencing a person’s growth as seen in [name of book] )

Body paragraphs (repeat for all)

-Goal/Overall Idea:
● Pick up where the previous paragraph left off
● Context: *MAKE SURE YOU BRIEFLY EXPLAIN THE SITUATION YOU’RE ABOUT TO TALK
ABOUT...Don’t forget quotes/citation*
● Break down the thesis into like 3 parts similarly to your “general statement”
○ Introduce your next part. “ex: [character] grew up surrounded by violence”
● Quote (should be something that proves anything you said..follow this for all quotes)
○ Analyze the quote
■ What is the quote saying? (paraphrase)
■ Why is the quote relevant/How does it prove your point?
● Connect to the whole thesis
○ How does proving this part prove your thesis?
● Closure
○ Set up a transition (This can either hint at what the next “part” is going to be or you can
treat it as a complete conclusion to this topic)

● The Unfortunate Reality

Towards the last few days of high school and graduation, we all hear the “Don’t worry!
 20

We will keep in touch!” lines and stuff like that. Unfortunately, you’re going to lose people...a
lot of people. The unfortunate reality is many of your high school friends are going to be
somewhere different than you and you all won’t be relevant to each other's everyday
lives anymore. People move on, people change, people forget you, you will forget people, and
you will find out a lot of your friendships were fake. There is nothing you can do about it.
However, don’t let this discourage you. I am telling you right now it is going to happen so it
should not hurt as badly as it would have if you didn’t see it coming. Do not get me wrong, some
of your friends will still be there for you and you might even have such a bond that you and your
old friends consistently stay in contact...but there is a chance that you may not. Remember
you’re in a new environment with new people so meet them. Take these words that I shared
with my graduating class, and remember them for yourselves as well:

This is a message to C.o.2012 from ALL schools. As the beginning of college

comes closer, I would like to say as much as we may not want to let go of HS and its
memories, we cannot live in the past for long. We can’t hold grudges on those we lose
connections with. From personal experience, I know that some people fall off our radar
but you know what, sometimes they realize how much life sucks without you and come
back. Anyone that you want to keep around, you have the power to maintain or even re-
establish friendships. College is another chapter and we cannot go into our new
environment anti social to cling on to what has already come and gone. All I urge of you
all is to look forward to the good times we're GOING TO have rather than the times we
had because you already know some people come and go. Thats just life. Instead of
hating them for not being there, love them for the times when they were.

-Shadiq 'A. Williams

● SAVE THESE WEBSITES!!

http://collegerefs.tumblr.com/ (EVEN MORE tips & advice)
 21

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ (Help with research/citation)

http://easybib.com/ (Bibliography generator)
http://patrickjmt.com/ (Everything you will ever need for Math)
https://www.youtube.com/user/patrickJMT
http://www.bigplanetbooks.com/ (Textbooks)
http://www.chegg.com/ (Textbooks and other stuff)
http://www.bigwords.com/ (Textbook price comparison)
http://www.schedulizer.com/#school-list (Schedule Generator)
http://www.tinyurl.com/QRGRCL (Resumes & Cover Letters)
http://vimeo.com/75418910 (Why internships are important)
https://staticsandstationery.wordpress.com/2015/06/12/how-to-
take-notes-from-a-textbook/ (How to take notes)

Closing Words/Statements
The following are some things that current college students would like you to know:

“Never let friends become your main priority. You can have them yes, hang out, party etc., but
don't let it interfere with your work. Always remained focused and keep a balance. Time for you,
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time for friends, and of course time for work.” - Navea A.

“The trick is not procrastinating. Once you solve that problem, college is light” - Joshua R.

“Don’t get too carried away with partying, if you do this then you won’t get your work done or
study and end up failing the class and can actually get kicked out of school. This happened to my
roommate. He got caught up with partying and got kicked out in November when there was only
like three weeks of school left.” - John M.

“Keep in touch with your REAL FRIENDS & FAMILY. All of your friends in college aren’t your real
friends. Less friends equal less allies and problems, also more focus. Keep your head together
always, don’t be all over the place... One person can only maintain so much.” - Dayquan N.

“When you know what you want, grab it” - Kelvin R.

“Never miss class. I almost failed numerous times because I decided not to go. You don't wanna
play catch up at the end”- Steven D.

“My first semester I took a class that required me to plan out every semester for the next 3 1/2
years. While it seemed stupid at the time, the fact that I now had a list of classes I needed (Cores,
Majors, Minors), in the order that I needed to take it (pre- and co- -reqs) made things extremely
easy to finish on time (regular 4 years). As weird and as simple as it sounds: do your HW the day
you get it. While yes, you have two weeks to 'get 'er done', when everyone else is freaking out
two weeks later, you'll be relaxing with a drink in one hand, and video games in the other.” - Avi
G.

“Learn to balance fun and school work. If you are too into the fun and parties, your school work
will suffer. If you are too into the books and have no fun, it will be one rough experience and it will
drive you insane and might end up with you dropping out. Do both and you will be fine.” - Safwan
F.

“Be independent!” - Kendrick G.

“Talk to a senior or junior. get acquainted. Find out what high school teachers and college admins
don't tell you about credits, transfers, experience, campus life, etc.” - Juanise A.

“Study study study!!! Trust me, it’s gunna pay off” - Nicole S.
 23

“No one will ask you to do your hw, and your teachers won't constantly remind you that you have
to do your work or be on time. They'll just simply fail you. Going away is just total freedom. You'll
become more independent and grow as a person. A lot of people say "you find yourself".
Surround yourself with positive people and people that share the same motives as you...[also] If
your GPA is below 2.0 you could most likely get kicked out. Make sure you eat healthy and don't
gain the "freshman 15'". But most importantly, be excited! You're about to enter the funnest years
of your life. Enjoy!” - Beandys D.

“Don’t take class on Friday.” - Tashon D.

“Always study ‘cause your freshman year is the easiest. Join an organization and most
importantly, make friends with every race. Don’t be shy..everyone is new so be that person that
stands out. Don’t be an asshole or "cool"...that shit is not important in college because no one
cares. They paying for education not to know about someone else life...also last but not least so,
COMMUNITY SERVICE. Give back to the people and know who the chair of your department is
because 4 years down the line you want him to write you a reference letter and trust me that is
GOD LIKE. hope this helps.” - Francisco V.

“Be close with your advisor.” - Kayma J.

“Work as hard as possible.” - Jose A.

“I can go on and on about things you should and should not do. The thing is, at the end of the
day, you all have to grow on your own. As much as I would love to hear that you all are doing
good in college, I can’t hold your hand through it. After all, that would contradict almost everything
I wrote here. I’m telling you from now, don’t look for an excuse to give up!!! At the end of the day,
college is all about hustle and grind the reason why people feel like “it isn’t for them” is because
they don’t know how to work their way through and around it...that is why I wrote this; to help give
y’all a head start. What all of this comes down to is just make good choices. Good luck.” - Shadiq
Williams

Students That Contributed

Shadiq W., CUNY Brooklyn College
Jose A., Universal Technical Institute
Juanise A., CUNY Brooklyn College (Formerly: CUNY BMCC)
 24

Navea A., CUNY Kingsborough

Ary A., CUNY Brooklyn College
Daphney A., Edic College
Maxine B., Smith College
Keniya B., SUNY Plattsburgh
Ashley B., CUNY Kingsborough (Formerly: SUNY Stony Brook)
Breanna C., Delaware State University
Tashon D., CUNY Brooklyn College
Beandys D., SUNY New Paltz
Steven D., CUNY Brooklyn College (Formerly: Mercy College)
Safwan F., Buffalo State University (Formerly: SUNY Morrisville)
Avi G., CUNY Brooklyn College
Kendrick G., CUNY Brooklyn College
Laketta J., SUNY University at Buffalo
Kayma J., Hofstra University
John M., SUNY Cortland
Dayquan N., SUNY Canton
Joshua R., CUNY City Tech
Kelvin R., SUNY Purchase
Nicole S., CUNY BMCC
Francisco V., SUNY Plattsburgh (Class of 2013)
Toni W., SUNY Purchase