Your first semester of community college can be scary. There’s so much about going to college that you just don’t know yet.
The top editors at Campus Current are all second-year students here, and we felt as scared a year ago as you do now.
As our first semester went on for us, though, we learned a few things that made the journey a lot less scary.
Here is a short list of some of the things we wish we had known on our first day as Riverhawks last year.
It’s OK to ask for help. Most professors are open to answering questions, and a lot of them are even eager to. That’s why they come to school every day. Helping students is not a bother to them.
Another way to get help with your schoolwork is to find a tutor. The college has free tutors in business and accounting, homeland security, math, science and writing. Some of the tutors are other students who have already taken the class you’re struggling with and some of them are faculty members. Most are available in person or online. Occasionally, you can find private tutors on bulletin boards around campus, but most of those charge a fee.
If your problem is more personal than academic, you can talk to a trained therapist on campus for free. It’s confidential and you can talk about anything you want.
You can make friends by joining a club. Unless a lot of your high school friends also came to AACC, there’s a good chance you hardly know anybody on campus.
Joining a student club is one of the best ways to make new friends once you get here. AACC has dozens of clubs to choose from, from Campus Current, to the Adventure Club, to the ceramics club, to the African Student Association.
If music is your thing, you can find classes that involve playing in a band, like a concert band. If you’re good at sports, check out the many teams that play for the Riverhawks.
A good plan helps things go smoothly. You need to know which classes will transfer to the four-year university that you may have your eye on and what you need to take so you can graduate when you want to.
To that end, check in with your academic adviser on a regular basis. It’s the best way to keep yourself on track.
Another kind of planning involves your schedule. Don’t get so overscheduled that you have no time for clubs or friends or your part-time job. When you’re a college student, school really shouldn’t be your whole life.
The best college experience is the one you’re prepared for. The editors at Campus Current hope you can benefit from our experience and have a great time as an AACC student.