by Katie Mcgreal

Created on: July 07, 2010   Last Updated: October 21, 2010

Starting college as a freshman and moving out of home for the first time can be a daunting prospect, but it can also be a very exciting one. For most people they won't know anyone in their university and therefore the first few days and even weeks will be scary. Here are a few tips to help those first few weeks run a bit smoother.

1) Smile. When meeting new roommates or classmates make sure to smile and be friendly! These are the people you will be living with or sharing classes with for at least the first semester. Getting on with them will make that first semester go a lot more smoothly and will even help you to find and make new friends.

2) Have an open mind. Go to college wanting to have fun, experience new things and of course, when you get a minute, study a little. The best way to deal with living away from home for the first time is to have fun with it. Be open to meeting new people and making new friends and be open to new experiences.

3) Say yes to invitations. For the first two weeks or so of college everyone is going to be wanting to make new friends and meet new people. Do your best to go to plenty of parties and get-together's in that time. The first few weeks are crucial for freshmen when it comes to making friends. Soon people will find their cliqué and making new friends will not be so easy.

4) Balance your time and your money. This may be your first time with complete freedom, but with freedom comes responsibility. Your parents may be paying for your college education but this doesn't mean there is an endless flow of cash. Try to budget. Make sure you don't drink your first month's rent in the first week or spend your grocery money on those new shoes you just 'had to have'! Try to keep a written account of how much you spend on everything and try setting a limit for yourself every week. You are soon going to realise that money isn't the only thing that needs to be budgeted, your time does too. There is not time to go to every party, club meeting and lecture as well as working part-time and getting enough sleep. This may be a difficult one to budget and plan out so therefore the best way to so it is to get a diary. Jot down all the parties, meetings and lectures you have and keep it on you at all times. That way when someone asks you to do something you can tell the right away if you're free.

5) Something that many people may not realise at first about living away from home is that you will feel lonely. You will have those days when you just feel rotten and miserable and would like nothing better then curling up in a ball, preferably back in your old bed in your parents house, and crying. But don't worry, that feeling will go. You just need to stay positive and take comfort in the fact that this loneliness happens to everyone. Especially when it's their first time living away from home.

6) Be safe. You may be 10 minutes away from home or you may be 10 hours away but either way you need to be aware of the fact that mummy and daddy won't be there all the time to scare the bad guys away. You need to be aware of your own vulnerability and don't ever give a stranger your address or phone number and don't ever take a lift home from someone you just met. When you're out always watch what and how much you drink and never let someone you don't know buy you a drink unless you go with them to the bar.

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