ChickSpeak

Ah, August is around the corner and for many of you new and upcoming college freshmen, you’ve endured freshman orientation. Everything seems so well planned out and perfect, right? Well, of course, it’s the university’s job to make you feel most at ease when embarking on a new life journey. BUT do they really tell you the most important things when it comes to your first year aboard?

Well, chicks, that’s why you have us at ChickSpeak. Being a veteran undergrad, I can remember my freshman orientation as easily as I do my graduation. If I only knew then what I knew now, my freshman experience could have been that much easier! So sit tight, gals. Take our advice, we’ve been there and back and we’re here to share with you all of the extra little secrets we learned along the way:

Choose Professors Before You Choose Classes

Think back into high school, wasn’t too long ago, right? There were those teachers who you absolutely adored and then there were those awful teachers who just didn’t understand how you couldn’t get the material (the ones you butted heads with.) 

You’re not stupid and neither was I. College can be a scary place and you want to have professors who are most understanding to your trials and tribulations. The last thing you want is to enter your first college course and have Satan in the form of your professor. So check out Rate My Professors, where students like you and I have the opportunity to grade professors. 

This site will help you choose a professor who most suits your needs. You can also check your school blackboard online. When I attended NYU, as we signed up for courses we could see how past students voted on professors.  Make sure you check this out and check out your professors before signing up for that class that you thought was going to be an easy A!

Buy Books AFTER Attending Each Class

Seriously, $400 to $500 bucks could be gone in a flash if you do this. Especially if you’re an English major. Trust me, I was. Sadly, at the end of each semester you can sell back your books, but you’ll only get 20 percent of the original price-even if that!

So I recommend holding off buying anything until you have attended each and every class. Many things could happen. You could decide to drop a class, the professor may have changed the syllabus (even, dare I say it, decided not to assign any!), and guess what? You can visit sites like Half and Amazon of your university bookstore to get the same books for half the price! Even if they’re used, just make sure they’re in good condition and you’re good to go! You can also sell these books back on here to get almost the same money you spent, back. Keep in mind that making buddies in your classes also benefit you. You could possibly find a way to share a book instead of buying one. 

Better paying half than full, right?

No More Home Cooked Meals Doesn’t Mean You Should Substitute With Junk Food

Chicks, we’re going to be blunt here. Unfortunately colleges and universities do not have the healthiest of food. You’ll find yourself swimming in an excessive amount of junk food and more than likely this will be the year where you party your butts off…thus creating an overload in beer calories. 

Don’t fall into the cliché ‘Freshman 15.’ You chicks deserve to keep your bodies healthy and your minds full of knowledge. Try to avoid splurging on McDonalds at 2 a.m. Not only will you have drunk away hundreds of calories, but adding on a meal will not help the calorie counter. We’re all for having a good time, but remember when it comes to expanding anything during college-it’s your minds, not your waistline.  If you decide on getting a meal plan, make sure to find the one that best suits you.  Instead of a 20-meal a week plan, if you eat less, buy less! See if your roommate or suitemates would enjoy some nights of cooking healthy meals.  Most of you will have access to a stove and/or kitchen!

Try to be active as much as possible. If class is in walking distance (and yes we consider 20-30 minutes walking distance) then walk instead of driving. Not only will you keep your bodies in motion, but you’ll avoid all of that crazy traffic and save money on gas!

Venture Out

We had high school to study up on our cliques, now is the time to venture out to different groups, people, and activities. Sure you’ll more than likely be closest with some of the girls on your floors and in your suites, but you’ll be meeting so many people during classes and parties. Join a couple of activities or groups to meet new and interesting people.  They often say the friends you make in college are the ones who will last a life-time. College is the chance to reinvent who you are and introduce yourself to new people. Don’t keep yourself locked up; you’ll miss out on great times, great clubs, and great people.

Chantal Waldholz is a 2008 journalism and English graduate from New York University who hopes to one day write for a major entertainment magazine or network.  She has a weakness for pricey shoes and secretly adores her guilty pleasures-gossip and reality shows.