Words of Wisdom: 100 Must-Read Blog Posts for Incoming Freshman

By Hannah Watson

For most students, college is the place where they make lifelong friends, find out what they’re truly interested in, and have a great time learning, living and exploring being an independent person. Of course, heading off to college can mean uncertainties and fears as well, as it is a totally new and unfamiliar experience for most. You can help prepare yourself for all that your freshman year will throw at you by taking a look at some of these blog posts that offer advice on everything from dating to which dorm foods to avoid.

Guides for Freshmen

These guides cover some of the basics of heading off to school to help you prepare everything you’ll need to have a great first year.

1. 6 Tips for Incoming College Freshmen: These tips will help you do well in your courses and get the most out of your college education.
2. 25 Tips to Help You Survive and Thrive Your Freshman Year: This extensive list of tips offers advice on all aspects of college, especially those that affect you in your first few weeks.
3. First Day of College Tips for Freshman: Want to make your move-in and set-up a little easier? Read these tips.
4. Survival Tips for Incoming College Freshmen: If you want to make your first year as awesome as possible, take a look at this helpful article.
5. 15 Tips on Conquering Your College Freshman Fears: Everyone has fears about going off to college. This post will help you assuage some of those fears and go to school with confidence.
6. Five Tips for College Freshmen: This posting offers some advice on the most important things you need to know about starting college.
7. Five Tips for College Freshmen Having a Hard Time Adjusting: Going off to college can be a major life change and one that might take some time to accept. Here are some tips to make the transition easier.
8. Freshman Year in College: What to Expect: Here you can get a parent’s perspective and see what your parents might be expecting you to do when away from home.
9. What College Freshmen Should Know About University Life: Check out this post to get a basic overview of what life at college will be like.
10. The Big Five Freshmen Mistakes: How to Avoid Them: Want to avoid looking like an idiot when you head off to school this fall? This post offers some help avoiding a few of the most common mistakes made by new students.
11. College Tips: For Incoming Freshmen: A new year.: Here you’ll find some humorous and some serious tips on starting off college on the right foot.
12. 25 Words of Wisdom for College Freshmen: This post asks people of all ages to look back on their freshman year and offer bits of advice. It can be a great read for new students looking for help.

Advice from Students

These posts will give you a little perspective from other students on what to do and what not to do in your first year.

13. Guide to Freshman Year: These sometimes humorous tips from a former college student will make you laugh and get you excited about all the fun you’ll have at school.
14. Tips For Incoming College Freshmen To Make The Transition Easier: Take some advice from this student on how to prepare for life at college.
15. 10 Tips for College Freshmen (from a senior): This older student shares some helpful advice for incoming students in this post.
16. What I Wish I’d Known About My First Days on Campus: Learn from the experiences of others and how you can make the most of those first moments of freedom at college.
17. How not to look foolish: A guide for incoming college freshmen: Here you’ll find pointers from an older student on how you can enter college and look like an old pro.
18. What They Didn’t Tell You in Freshman Orientation: Want to get some insider information on how to navigate the hallowed halls of your university? This college grad reminisces and offers advice here.
19. Sound Advice for College Freshmen: Read this post written by a student just wrapping up her first year of college to get an understanding of what your first year might have in store.
20. Take freshman year seriously, or else: Learn why freshman year can be pretty important to your college education from this student’s perspective.

Paying for School

Even if you didn’t get anything for this year in the way of financial assistance that doesn’t mean you’re out of luck. After all, you’ve got three more years to go. Here are some great articles that can help you reduce costs and pay for your college education.

21. Looking for college loans and grants for your continuing education: This post will help point you in the direction of funding for school.
22. How to Minimize Your Student Loan Debt: Read this post to learn how to make sure you’re not taking out more than you need for school.
23. How to Make College Cheaper: School doesn’t have to break your bank account. Learn how to do things for less in this post.
24. Don’t overpay for your higher education: Here you can learn how to ensure that you’re getting the best deal for your money when it comes to college.
25. Paying for College in Tough Times: This post will help you learn some ways that you can get assistance in paying for school even when times are tight.
26. Five Ways to Get Into College Without Paying A Dime: If you want to reduce the amount you spend on college, this post can help you learn some tricks to save big.
27. Get Smart About Paying For College: Educate yourself on your sources of funding for college through this post.
28. 7 College Scholarships That Require No Talent: If you’re not the top of your class but still want to apply for scholarships these 7 should top your list.
29. A Primer on College Scholarships: Learn all you need to know about applying for and getting scholarships through this post.
30. 8 Quick Ways To Get Free Money For College: This post will teach you some basic ways you can get extra cash for college.

Dorm Living

For most students, college will be the first time they are living away from home and sharing space with someone they don’t know. Here are some posts that will help make the transition a little easier.

31. 10 Things Incoming College Freshman Need to Know About Living in Dorms: If you’ve never lived in a dorm before this post will help give you an idea of what to look out for and to expect.
32. Checklist For College Freshmen- Dorm Room Essentials: Find out just what you need to make your dorm room feel like home from this post.
33. College Freshmen & the New Roommate: Those who’ve never had to share a room will likely find it a new and sometimes frustrating experience to share space. Read more about it here.
34. Headed To College? Design Your Dorm Lets You Build Your Pad In 3D: Want to plan out your room ahead of time? Read this post to learn how.
35. Top 25 Student Dorm Room Supplies: Check out this list to find out what you shouldn’t neglect to bring to school this fall.
36. Dorm Pets: Good or Bad Idea?: If you’re considering having a small pet in your dorm, read this post to find out if that’s a good idea or a bad one.
37. Headed to college? Don’t leave home without: Read this post to learn what you should for sure bring with you to college.
38. Moving Away to College 101: Eco-friendly Unpacking: Learn how to make your move a little more earth friendly with advice from Moving.com
39. Dorm Room Do’s and Don’ts: This post will teach you what’s acceptable dorm behavior and what you should refrain from doing.
40. Planning Your Dorm Decor for Comfort and Organization: Get some ideas on what to buy for your dorm room and how to best decorate from this post.
41. How your Dorm Room Reflects your Personality: Those who want to have a totally personalized space can read this post to design a great dorm room.

Studying, Homework and Projects

While there are a lot of things that go on at college, at the heart of it all, you’re there to learn. These posts offer some helpful pointers to get the most out of your college education.

42. What are some needed goals for college freshmen?: Learn what educational and personal goals you should be setting for yourself once you start school.
43. Study tips for college Freshman: As a freshman you’ve got to do a little adapting to college learning. This post will help you adjust your study skills.
44. Top 5 Study tips for your final exams: If you want a little advice on studying better for finals this post has some suggestions.
45. Tips for Improving College Study Skills: Read through this post to help refine and retool the way you study to best serve your grades in college.
46. How to Avoid Procrastination in College: Procrastination is something that plagues people at all stages of life. Learn to battle it while you’re at school from this post.
47. How to Get Good Grades in College: This post will give you some pointers on keeping your grades up while you’re in school.
48. The Top 100 Productivity and Lifehack Blogs for College Students: Read through this list of blogs to find loads of information on how you can get more accomplished in less time at school.
49. Getting Things Done Explained for Students: Here you can learn about this popular productivity method applied to college coursework.
50. Hospitality Management Degree: This blog will instruct you on the basics of improving your study habits with a focus on hotel management.
51. 5 Tips for Talking to a College Professor: Check out this post to learn how to better communicate with your professors so you can form lasting relationships and get more out of class.

Relationships

Whether you’re looking for something serious, already have a special someone, or just want a fling, these posts will enlighten and inform.

52. High School/College Relationships: Share Your Experiences: Are you going to be dating someone still in high school when you head off to college? Get some insights on what works and what doesn’t here.
53. College Dating Myths: Don’t Get Fooled and Keep Your Morals High: Here you can learn a little bit more about what dating in college is like.
54. Facing the Challenge of College Dating: If you want to jump into the dating pool when you go to college this post can give you some pointers.
55. College Dating Tips For a Fun Date: Learn how to have fun without spending a fortune from this post.
56. Making Long-Distance Relationships Work: If you’re dating someone back home you can get some advice on keeping your relationship strong while you’re away from this post.
57. Facebook Increases Jealousy in Relationships: This post explains why Facebook might not always be a good thing for couples.
58. Love in Four Years: Dating in College: Get some perspective on what dating throughout your four years of school might be like.
59. The 10 Types of College Relationships: Here you’ll get a somewhat generalized but also useful outline of the types of relationships common in college (and beyond for that matter.)
60. Realistic expectations key to college relationships: Learn why having realistic expectations of relationships is important when you’re in college.

Friends and Family

Here you’ll find some advice on making new friends, keeping old ones, and staying in touch with your family.

61. College Roommate Relationships: Learn how to form a better relationship with your roomie from this post.
62. Making Friends In College And University: This post will give you some pointers on making new friends at school.
63. Making Friends in College: Get some advice on making friends in your first few days, weeks and months away from the shared experiences here.
64. The importance of making friends in college: Learn why you should expand your horizons and make new friends at school.
65. How to Make Friends in College Dorms: You’re going to be in a building full of people your age, many of whom will have similar interests. This post will help you make the most of living with these people.
66. 8 Ways to Make Friends in College: Learn how to go out and make new friends at school with a few pointers from this post.
67. Keeping in Touch: Maintaining High School Friendships at College: Here you’ll get some advice on how you can maintain your friendships when you head off to different colleges.
68. Keeping in Touch with Your Parents While in College: Check out this post to understand the importance of keeping in touch with parents when you’re at school.
69. College Students and Homesickness: How to Adjust to Freshman Year: This post offers some great advice on how to make yourself feel less homesick.
70. Cures for Homesick College Students: Read through this post to get some ideas on how to reduce homesickness in your first few months away.
71. College Professor Relationships: Bad In-Class Behavior: Learn how to build better and more productive relationships with your professors here.

Health and Fitness

Make sure you avoid the dreaded freshman 15 by reading these helpful fitness-focused posts.

72. Freshman 15: College Weight Gain Is Real: The freshman 15 isn’t just a myth. Learn more about it here and how you can avoid the weight gain.
73. 4 Healthy Eating Tips for College Freshmen: Here you can learn how to eat healthier even if you’re not getting those home-cooked meals anymore.
74. Healthy College Eating 101- Skip the Fries and Carbs: Read through this posting to learn how to make the most of dorm food and what not to eat.
75. Avoiding Freshman Year College Weight Gain: Check out this post to learn how to prevent gaining loads of weight when you start school.
76. Avoid The Freshman 15 & Gain 15 Pounds Of Muscle Instead: If you gain weight, make it muscle with a little help from this post.
77. Nurse Practitioner Schools: Blog covering student health from a nurses perspective.
78. College Eating and Fitness 101: A Guide for College Students: This post will help you learn what to eat to stay healthy and how to accommodate your dietary requirements.
79. The how-to Fitness and Nutrition tips for any College Student: Here you’ll find loads of advice on how to get and stay fit when you’re at school.
80. Back To College? The Absolute Best Dorm Workout: Learn how to work out even when you’re living in the dorm from this post.
81. College Women Need to Focus on Nutrition: This post, written by a doctor, addresses the problem of eating disorders in college women.

Finances

Here are some great posts that will help you do more on a small budget and successfully manage your finances.

82. Tips on Saving Money For the Incoming College Freshman: This post will give you some ideas on how you can stick to a budget and still have fun in college.
83. Financial Advice for Incoming College Freshmen: Here you’ll find tips to help you avoid getting into debt.
84. College Freshmen, Avoid These Money Traps: There are a lot of ways to get into financial trouble as a college student. This post will touch on some of them and how to avoid them.
85. How To Save Money Buying A Laptop For A College Freshman: Many will need a laptop or computer when heading off to school. This post tells you how to save the most when buying.
86. Practical Finance Tips For College Students: Get down the basics and learn how to be smart with money from this post.
87. College Freshmen & Credit Cards: College will be the first time many are old enough to get their own credit cards. Learn how to use them wisely here.
88. 6 Ways College Freshmen Can Save Money: Check out the tips in this post to learn the variety of ways you can save money as a new student.
89. Top 10 Money Matters for College Freshmen: Learn what financial stuff you should be focusing on as you take your first steps into financial independence from this post.
90. The Ultimate Financial Survival Guide For New College Students: This post takes you through some of the steps to financial security.
91. 20 Great Websites To Earn Part-time Money While Working In College: If you want to earn some money on the side while you’re in college, this post offers a lot of great ideas on how to do it.

Misc

These posts address issues like choosing a major, how to dress, and making useful business connections.

92. A Networking Plan for College Freshmen: Read this post to get some ideas on how you can begin networking with people at school so that come graduation you’ll have a great base of contacts.
93. Strategy Tips for Deciding on a Major: Don’t know what you want to major in? This post gives some advice on how to figure it out.
94. Choosing a Major: The Blink Effect: This post uses Malcolm Gladwell’s book Blink to explain how to choose a major.
95. What To Wear To College: If you want a few fashion tips before you head off to school, this post offers them up.
96. Choosing Your Major in Three Steps: The Regret-Free Way to Plan Your Life: This post breaks down the process of choosing a major into an easy-to-follow progression.
97. Choosing A Degree With A Career Path In Mind: Here you’ll find some guidance on choosing a degree that will help you have the career you want.
98. What I Wish I Learned in College: This post addresses some of the things that college might not teach you that you’ll need to learn on your own.
99. 10 Must-Dos for the First Week of College: Learn what you should be doing in that first exciting week away at school from this post.
100. College Perks: 25 Things You Can Gain From College (Beyond a Degree): Here is a humorous take on some of the things you’ll be able to bring away from your time in college.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 25th, 2009 at 9:12 am and is filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.