by Aaron Morgan

Created on: June 28, 2008

What do you expect as you intially set foot on campus or log onto an online course for your first day of higher education? What should you expect? To calm your nerves a bit, there are many people in your situation all over the world, semester after semester, year after year; you are not alone.

The first step in making it through that daunting first day is to approach it with a positive attitude and a sense of confidence in yourself. Have pride in yourself for taking the courageous initial step to pursue higher education for yourself; do not allow yourself to give up on your dreams or goals due to a fear of the unknown.

Next, have a plan. Think your first day through at least a day or two ahead of time, if not sooner. If you are taking classes on campus, make sure you have your course schedule including the time of each course, and building names and room numbers of where each of your courses is located. Either pick up a campuss map at your school's info center or admissions office or print one off from the school's website. Map the buildings where each of your courses are located and plan your route, including the best place to park (if commuting). If you do this, when your first day arrives, you will be able to focus more on the actual first day of your courses, rather than stressing over the details.

Additionally, make sure you have everything you need for your courses. Consult your school's bookstore either online or in person to find out what books and course materials you need to buy prior to the start of your courses. Make sure you have all of your books prior to your course's start date as well as a notebook and folder for each class or another type of organizer that allows you room to put information for each course in a seperate area.

Finally, keep in mind is that you aren't expected to know everything your first day. If you have questions, get lost, or something goes wrong, don't be afraid to ask questions. If you don't know who to ask, consult someone in your school's admissions or counseling office. Also, don't be afraid to ask other students in your classes or that you meet on campus, remember every one of them have been where you are at one time or another.

To summarize, surviving your first day of higher education is really not all that difficult as long as you have a positive and confident attitude, have a plan, are prepared, and are willing to seek the help of others.

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