#1 You’re not in Kansas anymore. College is not high school. Gone are the days when you knew everyone you passed in the halls and “having a lot of homework” meant writing a one-page book report. You’re in college and you will have more work. Lots more work.
#2 But don’t be too afraid. College is also probably going to be the highlight of your life. Don’t come into college expecting to remain the same person you’ve always been. Consider new ideas, read new books, listen to new music, talk to new people, go new places. The best time of your life isn’t just going to happen to you. Take advantage of every opportunity to grow.
#3 With great power comes great responsibility. Don’t let all that freedom go to your head. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Don’t do anything until you’ve made sure you’re not going to hurt yourself or someone else. Or get arrested.
#4 Buy your books early. Some students spend $500 on books their first semester at ETSU. Don’t let that happen to you. As soon as you know your schedule, buy at least the major textbooks. Check used book sites online, but it’s often just as cheap to buy them from the bookstore once you factor in shipping and handling.
#5 Build study time into your schedule. It might seem unnecessary for some classes, and you may find that you would rather surf the Internet, eat gummy bears or sleep, but studying is necessary to a good education. Use time between classes to study or just sit down for an hour before you go out and look at class notes. You’ll be glad once finals rear their ugly head.
#6 Speaking of finals … Finals are not your normal test. You cannot wait until the 11th hour to study for finals and still expect to do well. You can’t even wait until Dead Week (which, at ETSU, is usually not so dead) and expect to do well. Preparing for finals is a semester-long procedure, which is usually helped along by studying regularly for classes. If the material has been swimming around in your head all semester, it will be easier to remember come May or December.
#7 The early bird gets the parking space. Parking at ETSU sucks. Maybe not as bad as at some other schools, but you’re probably never going to find a space closer than a five- to 10-minute walk to your particular building. If you arrive just in time for your class, you are going to be late.
#8 Get your money’s worth. Your tuition and fees at ETSU pay for all kinds of fun stuff like speakers, concerts, plays and other campus services like the CPA. Try them out! Get off your butt and do something. There’s also lots of stuff to do in the area right around ETSU. Downtown Johnson City actually has a decent amount of fun shops, bars (if you’re over 21), and other places to while away the time you’re not in class.
#9 A stitch in time saves nine. If you have a roommate, make rules before you need rules. What time do each of you go to bed? How late can you have visitors over?
Visitors are usually allowed at the dorm at all hours, but you probably don’t want your roommate to have visitors over at 5 a.m. when you’re trying to sleep or cram for a test in the morning. You don’t have to sign a written agreement, but it’s probably best to talk about it before it becomes a problem.
#10 Get involved. This one is last because it’s most important. You’re never going to get the “college experience” without actually doing stuff at college. Don’t just go home after your classes. Join a club in your major, a service organization or try out for student government.
Go to activities in your dorm or go out with your friends to celebrate a good grade on a test. Live it up, but keep it all in perspective. You are in college to learn something, after all.

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