Dear freshmen
You've just finished high school; congratulations! If you're reading this, you've decided
to attend OU. This is the next chapter of your life, and you will enjoy it. No more than
eight classes, one after the other, you can pick which classes you want. You might be
nervous in your first semester of college, but don't worry, you're taking Collegiate
Communication for a reason. It will teach you everything you need to know for college,
including how to be a successful student. I am also writing this letter to offer you advice
because I was in your shoes not too long ago, and I want to help you adjust to college
life by sharing some advice that I wish I had learned sooner.
The first piece of advice I am going to give you is not to take too many courses in your
first semester. This is not high school; just because you did take eight classes before
does not mean you should do that now. The college courses are longer and more
challenging than high school, so I would recommend taking three to four classes first.
Then, if that is too much or too little for you, you can adjust and take what is best for
your needs next semester. Also, don't be afraid to drop a class. The whole point of
being able to take that class in your first week is to see if you do want to take that class.
Dropping a class has no effect on your grade, and you will get a refund for that class.
Now, I won't be the only one to stress this, but don't be afraid to change your major.
Because college is a time of self-discovery, you should not have everything planned out.
It's okay if you're no longer interested in your major.
There are going to be a lot of resources for you to help you succeed in college,
and it can be hard to keep track of all of them, but I think the most important one to
remember is the first-year advising center. They are there to make freshman lives
easier. They will help you whenever you have a problem and assist you in obtaining the
necessary resources to resolve problems. Another resource that helped me a lot was
the SI classes. I was struggling in my Bio class when I first arrived at college, and then I
learned about the SI classes, which are essentially led by students who have already
taken the class and are helping their peers succeed in it, just as they had.
Now, I have a lot more advice to offer, but if I were to include it, this paper would
be ten pages long. I have shared with you the things that have helped me the most.
Now, everyone is unique; the things that helped me might not help you. That's why
Collegiate Communication is an important class, as I learned valuable skills that helped
me succeed here, and they will help you learn the things you need to succeed, too. I
hope you succeed in your classes, just as I have, and wish you all the best of luck in
this new chapter of your life.
