5 Tips To Feel Confident Your First Week on College Campus

It’s your first week on college campus and how do you feel? Scared, overwhelmed, out of place? How about excited, happy, ambitious, confident? No matter how different and crazy college can seem there’s no reason to feel anxious during your first week. Follow these 5 tips to gain some confidence and to understand where you belong during your first week of school!

1. Know You Are Far From Alone

I’m going to let you in on a secret. As much as you are stressing about your first week on college campus so is everyone else. Even the people who look cool, calm and collected. The first few days anywhere can be nervewracking no matter who you are so don’t get overwhelmed. No matter how scared or nervous you might feel take comfort in knowing you are not alone!

2. Go To Every Orientation You Can

Orientations might seem boring or overrated but they provide a ton of information that will help you during your first week. Head to all the orientations that apply to you or as many as you can. Getting some more information will help keep you confident throughout the week. Plus, you can also ask any pressing questions you might have to get rid of any lingering fears.

3. Explore Your Campus and Your Town

Want to feel confident your first week on college campus? Then cheat the system a bit and familiarize yourself with the campus before you go. Download a campus map and get an idea of what buildings you’ll be in on what days and mark out all the cafés and study spots you want to try out. Once the week begins, check out where your classrooms are to avoid getting lost on your first day. Nothing quite kills your confidence like showing up to your first class late and getting called out by your professor so try and avoid that situation at all costs.

This same technique works for the town or city around your college. Having a little knowledge about the best places to eat or even just a basic sense of where things are around you will help boost your confidence and will impress your friends and roommates when they’re on the search for particular locations!

4. Go to All of Your Classes, and Do the Readings Before Them

Nothing quite shakes your confidence than feeling completely lost and out of place in your classes. Your first week on college campus is mostly about getting familiar with what you’ll be learning through the semester. However, that doesn’t stop certain professors from sneaking in required readings or a lecture on your first day. Check out the online course syllabus and read reviews of your professor online to see exactly what is expected of you on your first few days!

5. Ignore the Voice in Your Head

Without fail on your first week on college campus the little voice in your head will pop up to tell you, you don’t belong. Ignore it. You do belong and you have just as much a right to be there as anyone else, no matter your grades or how popular you are. It’s okay to have doubts every once in a while, but always remember that there is a reason you were accepted in the first place and that wasn’t a mistake. It might seem lifetimes away but before you know it you’ll be graduating and being confident in yourself will help get you there a million times easier!