The importance of your college freshman year can not be understated. Yes, it’s a lot of pressure. It may even be unfair. I remember a conversation I had with a college friend a few years after we had graduated. Looking back, we both wondered how we made it through those first few semesters. Most of the people we knew (ourselves included) weren’t prepared socially or academically for such a challenge. We thought we knew everything, but most of us could only cook one meal, noodles and sauce (we called it “spaghetti,” but it was really just boiled noodles and sauce straight out of the jar). We knew very little about the world outside of our neighborhoods, and we had absolutely no idea what real studying was.

Entering college as the “new kids on the block” may intimidate you a little bit, and may even cause you to second-guess a few things. Whatever you do, don’t second-guess yourself! Instead, take a close look at what you’re doing to prepare for the start of your college career and the beginning of each ensuing semester. You have the talent to succeed. The real question is whether you’ll properly position yourself to take advantage of your talent. The answer is in how you prepare.

A proper introduction
High schoolers receive a heap of mail when being courted by colleges, and a brand new stack after being accepted. The school you choose to attend will send you housing and activities packets, financial aid information, and maybe a half-dozen welcome letters from different departments on campus. Among this pile of envelopes will probably be some information detailing various orientation and freshman-specific programs. Read this material thoroughly, as these will be your first tickets to success.

Each college runs their orientations differently. Some will offer programs for students to attend in the summer, prior to the official start of the school year. Others will bundle a variety of workshops and programs into the move-in period or first few weeks of school when student’s schedules are lighter. Some will offer freshman courses during the year that serve as an introduction to different aspects of college life. Some schools will have a combination of these options.

Find out what orientation programs your school sponsors and be sure to participate. Don’t blow them off, and don’t go with the attitude that you already know this stuff and don’t need to be there. Some orientations will start out slow and cover some pretty basic information. Chemistry 101 starts out the same way – the periodic table, H20, yada yada yada. Next thing you know, you’ve got a problem set that’s giving you trouble on question number one. Orientation workshops will eventually get into the nuances of college life and break down how you should prepare, which resources are available to you, and which people on campus you should get in your corner. Summer pre-college programs and freshman seminars will give you valuable classroom experience, possibly in a more nurturing environment. Go into these programs knowing that you’re making an investment in your college career, then soak up as much information as possible.

What’s the big deal?
What’s so crucial about getting a good start in college? The numbers don’t lie, so let’s look at two examples that will break things down.

Example 1: You take 8 classes your freshman year (4 each semester). You get four “A’s”, two “A-minuses”, a “B-plus”, and a “B.” This gives you a cumulative GPA of 3.7. Excellent work! Now suppose you take 8 more classes sophomore year, but this time you get all “B’s.” Your sophomore year GPA will be a 3.0, but your overall GPA will be a 3.35. If you get “B’s” through the rest of your junior and senior years (16 more classes), your cumulative GPA will end up being a 3.17. And this is all due to only one good year. Imagine what can be done with a healthy mix of “A’s” and “B’s” during your final three years. You’ll be in the 3.5 range, which is a good place to be.

Example 2: Again you take 8 classes freshman year. You get three “D’s”, three “C’s”, a “B-minus” and an “A.” Your GPA for the year is 1.96. Ouch. Welcome to academic probation. For your 8 sophomore year classes, you study with our friend from Example 1 and get all “B’s.” Your semester GPA is a 3.0, but your cumulative is a 2.48. That’s an improvement, but it’s between a “C-plus” and a “B-minus” average. Suppose you also get all “B’s” for the rest of your college career. Your overall GPA will be 2.74. This is not the end of the world, but look at what one poor year did to three average ones.

The moral of this story is: don’t dig a hole for yourself, because it’s extremely tough to climb out. Even if you end up being an average “B” student the rest of the way, you’ll still never see a “B” cumulative because of that hole. What if you get a super shovel senior year and have a straight “A” semester? It’ll boost your cumulative GPA a bit more, but prospective grad schools and future employers will probably only see your grades up through junior year. Hey, it’s a great moral victory and a good personal accomplishment, but it’s always best to show your good foot sooner, not later.

Instead of digging a ditch, build a cushion. Strive to maintain that cushion, but know that if you have an average or even a bad semester, your cumulative won’t suffer drastically. This will also help you preserve a positive attitude and a healthy level of self-confidence. Having to struggle out of a hole can lead to excess pressure, doubt, and detachment from school. On the flipside, academic success is the breeding ground for even more success.

How do you get this cushion? Well, if you’ve been paying attention since page one, then you should already have a good idea. To get started, you must first establish the cushion (or high GPA) as your goal, and understand how important it is to do well early. Don’t stress over it or put too much added pressure on yourself. Simply believe that you can reach your goal, then closely follow the Formula for Success, using all of the resources available to you.

Summary
Many people like to think that each semester they start out with a blank grade sheet. A clean slate. A new opportunity. This is partially true, because each term is a chance to take new classes and earn new grades. But instead of starting with all zeroes, or an empty grade sheet, begin each semester with the mind state that you have a 4.0, and it’s up to you to keep it. In other words, start at perfection then try to maintain it. If you expect to earn an “A,” and believe that it is already yours, you will focus your efforts and approach the class more seriously than if you have no expectations or simply want to get whatever grade you end up with. How you start is how you’ll finish. If you want an “A” you can’t wait until the final exam to start working for it.

Near the beginning of each semester it’s also important that you revisit your overall academic goals, study strategies, and performance from the previous term. What could you have done differently? What do you want to accomplish this time around? Re-read portions of this book, spend time with your journal, and make sure you begin each semester feeling refreshed, motivated, and excited about another opportunity to succeed.