freshman college checklist – Good Apples NYC

September 3, 2021September 3, 2021

Away at College and Need Privacy in Your Room?

One More Item to Buy for Your Dorm

Going away to college is not always easy.

It can be quite a transition to have a stranger for a roommate, to not be able to control the lighting and movement in the dorm room.

Some people are very shy; others are introverted and need down time alone to recharge.

Maybe someone can’t sleep if the sun comes up too early, or if their roommate is a nightowl, plays flashing video games or has to study all night.

Also, some students may have a condition that makes them sensitive to too much stimulation.

But students sharing rooms have to respect their roommate(s), and know there’s only so much that can be done within reason.

It will get too cold to take long walks to get one’s head straight. Can’t lie down and relax in the Library (even those libraries that have privacy pods for reserving).

Ultimately, a student has to go to bed, to the room that costs thousands a year…

Those are scenarios where students should consider getting a Bed Tent like this one on Amazon! Roll down the privacy curtains and create your own safe-you space:

* NOTE: Good Apples NYC may earn small commission from the products on this page if you decide to make a purchase by clicking on the specific link provided.

August 6, 2021August 1, 2021

How to Get Through the First Week of Freshman Year — Social Edition

What to do to make Freshman Year comfortable socially

REAL STORY: there was a young freshman who couldn’t eat in the dining hall for the first few days of college because she didn’t know she could sit anywhere! And this was a Brooklyn kid used to a huge cafeteria in public high school who had chosen to go to a small single-sex Pennsylvania college. Yes, this article is only about getting through the first week or so because the awkwardness and nerves a new freshman feels don’t last the entire year.

Don’t Expect Anything. Put all those movies, books and tv shows out of your head. Wrong, unrealistic expectations will cripple your adjustment and set you up for disappointment.
Locate Student Support Services! Your tuition pays for them to be there for you. They provide advice on how to manage time, campus life and anything that concerns you.
Locate the Tutoring Center! Even the brightest kids seek help. Do it the first two weeks.
Don’t Resist New Things! When kids are little and introduced to new foods, especially when visiting other people’s homes, one tactic to use is the “Three Tries Rule”: a) Take a full first bite b) Take another full bite to be sure c) Have another full bite to be polite. Celebrity couple Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Sara Michelle Gellar have a 10 Tries Rule, no negotiation! (https://www.huffpost.com/entry/freddie-prinze-jr-parenting-quotes_l_60467c1cc5b6e6abac81f4bf) As long as the activities don’t clash with your class schedule, attend a variety of organized events. Don’t wait for your favorite theme. You may find new friends in unexpected places.
You Are Not Alone. Most schools admit a thousand or more freshmen a year. Odds are not only is there someone else who likes the same last place-ranked professional team, or who reads the same Deep South gothic ghost stories — but they’re not going to fall into your lap as you sit in the dorm room. Or if you’re a commuter, you won’t find them if you go straight home after class.
Forget High School Humiliations. Put embarrassing moments behind you. That’s a more difficult to do for students who did awful things — social media and newspapers live forever — but the new people you’ll meet will not remember how you wore your gym pants inside out in 10th grade. Don’t enter college classrooms in dread of snickering and teasing. Those old students conditioned you and now they are not in your life any longer. Breathe.
You’re Not Weirder than Everyone (and everyone else is busy being too self-conscious to notice you). And to be truthful, any other student who thinks you’re weird is not worth trying to impress. Don’t waste your time; move on.
Be Yourself! Phonies are not fun to be around. Besides, if you are not yourself, who will be you?
Talk First! People can’t read your mind as to who you are and what you need.
Shrug it Off and Keep it Moving! If your jokes fall flat with one group, move on to another.
Be Flexible to Change. You may like to do work at last minute; be open to starting assignments earlier so that they’re polished before submitting. College is not high school; it is not supposed to be.
Don’t expect to become best friends with your roommate(s)! You may like lights out at 8 to begin your wind down; your roommate may like to stay up longer — or they’re a little afraid of the dark and don’t want to admit it (or the reverse!). Find a middle point with your roommate and ask for help from the residence assistant to mediate. Resident directors and assistants are trained and experienced in roommate issues.
Try try again! Rinse (please shower everyday) and repeat the previous steps.
Watch Out for Predators. There will be people who prey on freshmen:
- Don’t leave campus with students you don’t know well yet! You don’t know who will be at that party off school property. If something happens off campus, the college does not have to take responsibility.
- Always keep your hands on your drink and never take your eyes off an open cup or bottle! Pour out drinks left unattended. The cost of the drink is MUCH cheaper than the hospital bill (or worse). Don’t drink anything if you tend to get distracted.
- Stay out of areas where you’ll be alone.
- Articulate out loud and make a plan with new friends: arrive together, don’t leave without each other. Always know where they are.
- If things are moving fast with a possible romantic partner, pause! You have the rest of semester; don’t rush things. You have no where to go until the term ends. If they are a good person, they will have enough sense to go slowly, too.
- If they act as if their feelings are hurt — because they may only be acting, remember — then they are too unstable to be in a healthy happy relationship with you! Be firm; end it early before you get sucked into a twisted situation that takes longer to untangle.
- IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING. Don’t let people leave if they’re going to be in a vulnerable situation. Toss the drink and promise to reimburse them when your allowance gets sent. Don’t worry about losing potential friends; bad people give school a bad reputation. Better to be rid of them.
Don’t Give Up on Your Classes; try not to let your anxiety interfere with attending lessons and completing classwork. Freshman year is usually a bunch of pre-requisite classes; what’s covered will be the same at any college. So during those hours that you’re in class, focus and do well to keep your grades up. Don’t throw the dreams and money away, but…
…Know when it’s time to go. Sometimes a school isn’t a perfect fit, even though a student’s job is to go to class, take the tests, write the papers and get the grades. After all, that’s what the thousands of dollars are going to! But if you’ve taken the Three Bites (or Ten Tries) and you’re not clicking with the school, it’s time to check in with the counselor for next steps.
Get to the Counselor at Student Support Services — of which you’re already familiar because it was the first thing you located, maybe even before stepping on campus — to help you decide whether to return the next semester, or even finish out the first semester. Then, try to get a second opinion from another counselor or advisor. Listen to them. Do not make this decision on your own. Listen to them. Do not make this decision on your own.

The best approach to a new environment is to remember that it is new. Be careful but not scared. Kick old self-destructive habits. Investigate from every angle before jumping to conclusions; you may be misinterpreting situations through old eyes. Breathe. Get advice. Listen to experts who know, who’ve encountered thousands of students like you before. Keep Calm and Carry On!

* ONE MORE THING: if you find someone in a tough situation, have this Crisis Hotline Contact Information handy. You may never need it BUT one of the people you know may need it one day. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “help” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

August 5, 2021August 1, 2021

How to Get Through First Week of Freshman Year — Academic Edition

What to do the first week or so to make the best of Freshman Year.

Whether the freshman is coming from a large high school to a small liberal arts college or a small private high school to a large state flagship college, parents fear the child may not adjust, may fall through the cracks. Here are some ways to get through the first weeks:

Follow Directions. Meaning: heed the syllabus, note the assignments in advance, set alerts for all the deadlines. The professors don’t write them as suggestions; they expect students to follow syllabi in order to learn the material and be graded on it as described in the syllabi. There should be no surprises if the syllabus is detailed. Read it; heed it.
In a large lecture classroom, Sit Close in the First Couple of Rows. Being closer keeps the mind from wandering and encourages more eye contact with the professor. Just a fleeting glimpse will cause a connection. It also put intimidating classmates out of sight behind you.
Try to Raise a Hand in Each Session; having that goal will keep you focused and listening for the opportunity to ask a question or make a comment. Even if the opportunity to raise your hand never occurs, at least you were engaged in the lesson. Get noticed by the professor so they won’t have to guess what grade to give you. The raise-hand-every-session plan works in smaller classrooms, too. Listening closely in anticipation of contributing will increase comprehension of the subject and result in higher grades.
Make an Appointment to Go to Professor Office Hours. Professors post their availability; take advantage of it early in the school storm. You want the professor to know you’re there to use your tuition money wisely (learning). You’ll also be the first to hear from the professor more details about upcoming units in the course, extra credit, job openings, research opportunities and other “inside scoops”.
Don’t Get Frustrated. Students shouldn’t fear not knowing or not understanding. Every student gets lost in at least one course or subject area in their college career. Don’t give up right away.
Get Tutoring Early. Every student, no matter how brilliant they are, will need tutoring. Students should go in the first month even if they think they have a hang of a subject.
Join a Study Group or Create One. This is the best way to realize you’re not alone.
Know Your Limits Early. Freshmen will be taking core required courses, but if by chance your schedule includes a tough elective (a course not required) that will not impact on fulfilling your major but is harder than you’re ready for, then consider taking the class Pass/Fail or dropping the course altogether. Pass/Fail will not affect your average. The you drop one course, hopefully you’ll be able to register for a more appropriate course. WARNING: these course decisions must be done in the first couple of weeks of the term. Classes close out early so students don’t miss too many lessons and never catch up.

Ready to start school on the right foot? Going in with realistic, open eyes — and mind — is the way to go!

June 15, 2021July 9, 2021

Prep for College Freshman Year: Vaccine Boosters

What vaccinations Do Freshmen Need Before Stepping on Campus? Even before the pandemic, entering freshmen in colleges and trade schools have been expected to be up to date on immunizations. Campus environments are intimate and turn into disease incubators quickly. So students must provide proof of the mumps MMR and tetanus DTP boosters. It’s also recommended to have the Meningitis B vaccine; many campuses experience a Meningitis B outbreak each year, and that strain can be deadly. The Meningitis B vaccine is usually a two-parter, so make doctor appointments now so that there is time to take the second before moving on campus.