Your First Day of Class: How to Prepare

College is full of firsts and I want you to know how to prepare for them. Below are steps to preparing for one of them: your first day of class.

1. Do your homework. I know that CHEM 110 homework that the professors assign before your first day of class isn't fun, but get it done before coming to campus. You are going to have a less stressful first week if you get it done now. Your time when you first move into your dorm is much better spent getting to know your new roommate than doing homework anyways.

2. Print out your schedule.  Your schedule can be found on eLion. Go to elion.psu.edu, select Student and enter your username and password. Then select Schedule on the top right side of your screen and select Student Schedule from the drop down menu. Next select Fall 2014. I recommend printing both the Course Detail and the Weekly View calendar just to have as references.

3. Order your books. When you look at your Student Schedule on eLion (see step 2), there is a link labeled Buy Books. Click on this link, select all of your classes using the check boxes to the right, click Confirm Selection, and click Submit. This will open the website for the on-campus bookstore and will show which books are required and recommended for each of your classes. Search the ISBN numbers on amazon.com and other online sites because buying online tends to be cheaper than buying from the bookstore. If you cannot find books online, then you may buy them from the on-campus bookstore in the HUB or the SBS (Student Book Store) downtown. Have your mentors and rover(s) take you to the HUB bookstore and downtown to the SBS to make sure you are getting the best deals on your textbooks. (Yes, the bookstore in the HUB and the Student Book Store are two separate places. I know, confusing, but you will get the hang of it. I promise!)

4. Obtain a campus map. These can be found at your commons desk or can be printed out online. Here is a link to a map of campus: http://www.geog.psu.edu/sites/default/files/2015%20VisGuide%20v1.pdf

5. Map a route using your campus map and your schedule that you just printed out.  Circle the buildings in which you have classes and label each building with the class you have in that particular building.

6. Walk your class route. Don't walk your route to class on the first day of classes. Have your mentor and rover(s) take you around to all of the buildings in which you will be attending class. They are more than happy to help!

7. Get a planner. Whether you use a notebook, a planner you bought at the SBS (my personal choice), or your phone's calendar, use something to write down your assignments. Bring your planner to the first day of classes because that is when your professors give their first assignments.

8. Go to class. Start the semester off right. Professors will usually go over the syllabus on the first day of class, but many also begin teaching. You do not want to be behind after your first day. Going to class is also a great way to meet friends and form study groups. The friends I made on my first day of MATH 140 are the friends I still hang out with on a daily basis now.

9. Organize your planner. You should now have all of your exam dates and project deadlines from the syllabuses you received in your classes. Copy these into your planner so everything is in one place. You will be thankful you did later in the semester when you are trying to keep deadlines straight. Maybe even get a jump start on those first few assignments. :)

10. Relax. You have been accepted into an amazing university and have completed your first day! Celebrate by watching a movie with your new roommate, playing frisbee on West quad, or grabbing ice cream at the Berkey Creamery.

Emma Tierney is a junior majoring in Civil and Environmental Engineering, and she is a Mentor for WEPO '14!