All the "First Day" Feels
Growing up, my mother would take me “back to school shopping” every year for all the
supplies I needed for the school year ahead. She’d pack my lunch and have breakfast
for me to grab on my way out the door every morning.
Waking up for the first day of class at Ole Miss felt a little different than waking up for the first
day of school under the same roof as my parents. I quickly realized I no longer had my familiar
“before school routine” that included my mom making sure I got my booty out of bed on time
every morning. We have some tips to help your student prepare for their first day of college
classes! Please share this article with them.
It’s incredibly helpful to walk through your class schedule before classes actually begin. If you already know an upperclassman at Ole Miss, consider reaching out to them to ask if they’d
be willing to look at your class schedule and take a little walking tour of your
route for each day. If you don’t know anyone familiar with campus, set aside time to navigate
the buildings on your own and familiarize yourself with the location of each of your classes. I was so worried about looking like a little, lost freshman on my first day, so doing this
ahead of time saved me some potential embarrassment!
When you walk into each of your new classrooms on the first day, don’t choose to sit in the very
back of the room by yourself. Force yourself to pick a seat towards the front by some of
your classmates. Sitting in the first few rows makes it much easier to pay attention to the
professor and easier to see the chalkboard or projector screen. I have also found that
professors will recognize your face and/or name if you sit towards the front, take notes and ask
questions.
Introduce yourself to classmates sitting near you during the first week of class! If you feel comfortable, consider exchanging phone numbers so you can text each other throughout the semester with any questions you may have about the class. It can never hurt to establish
connections with those in your classes. I constantly run into friends I’ve made in previous
classes while out on the Square or walking around campus and it’s always nice to say hello!
You won’t have your parents to make sure your backpack is stocked with all the supplies you’ll
need to take on the semester. Bring your laptop and laptop charger to class EVERYDAY.
Most teachers require you bring it, anyway. Also, try to remember to charge your computer
every night so you don’t get to class to open a dead, useless laptop. Make sure you have plenty
of pencils and paper to take notes during class. A few teachers ask that you take notes on
paper rather than on your laptop. Also, you’ll take most of your exams on scantrons, which
require a number 2 pencil, so it’s good to make sure you’re loaded up on pencils (especially
because they always seem to disappear!)
When you go to sleep the night before the first day, try to go to bed at a reasonable time. You
want to be rested for your busy day! Set a couple of alarms to make sure you don’t sleep
through the first one, and allow yourself enough time to complete your usual morning routine –
and make sure to leave time to grab a bite to eat – they have YUMMY breakfast options on
campus including Einstein Bagels, Starbucks, Chick-Fil-A and Rebel Market (if you are a
breakfast person). Do not dress up for your first day!! I used to dress nice for school every day
in high school and when I showed up to my first class at Ole Miss with jeans and a cute top on, I
stuck out like a sore thumb. Most people wear t-shirts and baseball hats to class, so don’t stress about what to wear- dress comfy!
The first day of college class is so exciting! You’re about to meet forever friends, get a great
education AND create memories that will last a lifetime. If I could go back and relive
anything, I would choose my freshman year at Ole Miss. There are so many new people and
experiences you’re about to encounter- soak it up!