Graduating from high school and getting ready to start college? Worried about the transition to living on your own and the academic stress that may come from pursuing your degree? Don’t worry! You’re not alone. Most students preparing for their freshman year of college experience doubts and reservations. The best way to alleviate these fears is by getting answers to some of the questions circling around in your mind. Here’s five that are frequently asked.
1. Is it Worth it to Bring a Bicycle to Campus?
While it can be inconvenient to store a bicycle while you are in college and space is limited, it can be a major time saver for you to have a bicycle on campus to ride back and forth to class. Universities can be spread out over a large amount of land. It can be more than one mile to travel from side of campus to another. If you’ve scheduled classes back to back with only 10-15 minutes in between each one, having a bicycle is essential to ensure you aren’t late. It can also come in handy if you wake up late from a night out and need to quickly get across campus for a class or your part-time job.
2. Where’s the Best Place to Get Used Textbooks?
New textbooks can be expensive with some costing more than $100 for just one book. To save money, you can purchase used textbooks, and the best place to do this is at Booksrun.com. This site provides students with new and used textbooks and eBooks at a discounted price. Books are shipped directly to you for free, or you can choose an online textbook that allows you to access the textbook anytime and anywhere. This can be a major bonus if you don’t want to lug a heavy backpack across campus. With more than 430,000 titles to choose from and new ones being added every day, odds are that Booksrun.com will have exactly what you need. Plus, when you are finished with your classes at the end of the semester, you can sell your books back and make some money.
3. Do I Really Even Need Textbooks?
Based on the cost, you may be reluctant to spend money on textbooks and questioning if you even need them. In most cases, the answer is yes. Some professors will use and reference the textbook multiple times each class, so it’s helpful to have it with you each time. Other professors will ignore the textbook during all lectures, which may leave you frustrated since the textbook doesn’t seem relevant. Just because it isn’t being referenced in class though doesn’t mean the textbook isn’t valuable. Some professors expect students to use the textbook as a supplemental guide to their teaching, so they will pull test questions directly from the textbook. Without purchasing and using it throughout the semester, you could jeopardize your academic success.
4. How Can I Pay for School if my Family’s in Debt?
Paying for school can be stressful, especially if you family is in debt and unable to shoulder any of the cost. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to forego your education. Visit with the financial aid counselors at your college to learn what options exist for you. They may be able to help you with scholarships or grants that provide free money that you don’t have to pay back. If you aren’t able to qualify for those, you have the option to take out a student loan to pay for your school. In addition, you can consider other ways to finance your college, such as working part-time and paying cash for the classes you take.
5. What’s the Best Way to Avoid the Freshman 15?
The dreaded pounds known as the Freshman 15 are notorious. Due to living environment changes, late nights, stress and other factors, eating habits change during your freshman year in college causing you to gain weight. You can avoid them though by taking steps to prevent yourself from becoming a statistic. Here’s a few things you can do:
- Walk instead of driving to or around campus
- Choose healthy options in the cafeteria
- Schedule time each day to exercise at the student recreation center
- Participate in extracurricular activities that involve physical activity
By taking these steps on day one, you can prevent the freshmen 15 from settling anywhere on your body.