Choosing a Major: Most college students will change major- many will change majors multiple times (personally, I've been through three!). You should chose an enjoyable major as this will be their study material for the rest of their college careers! In order to fulfill graduation requirements, come to a decision on your major by second semester sophomore year.

Talking to other students and professors within a major will provide a good idea of what the major entails as well as the overall satisfaction of students in that major. Also, it is helpful to research the classes required for the major. Academic advising offices may supply information on the various colleges and majors within the university.

Most importantly, chose a major depending on what they enjoy learning. Looking at the average salary earned by those who graduated with this major is not a good way to judge nor is looking at the ease of the course material. You'll just end up with something that looks good on paper, but does not necessarily fit you.

Class Scheduling: In the first semester of college most students will not be able to dictate their own class schedules, but will be able to as status accumulates in the following semesters. When scheduling classes, be aware of extra-curricular work and activity schedules as well as how well you do waking up early. Students who do not want morning classes should realize they may have to take classes into the evening.

Be aware of the classes required for your major and make sure not to be blocked out of a class. If there are no seats remaining in a class you need, continue to check back to see if anyone has dropped the class or talk to the professor and ask to be added to the class.

Before formally scheduling, have an ideal schedule on paper as well as alternatives when preferred classes have limited seats. Try scheduling breaks between classes in order to remain alert and fresh instead of going non-stop all day.

Textbooks: When buying textbooks, it is important to remember to only buy books at the campus bookstore as a last resort. It is best to buy books online, but this can be tricky when trying to make sure the correct book is bought. It is best to go to the campus bookstore and record the ISBN numbers for each book, then search for the books online with these numbers. Be sure to order books at least two weeks in advance as shipping may take a while.

If a book is bought new, the wrapping should not be taken off until the professor has stated the book will be used for class. In some cases books will not be used for a class and if unopened can be returned for full-price. Keep your textbooks in good condition throughout the semester so they can be sold back later for extra cash.

Other tips: Here are a few final tips to help make college successful:

-Join organizations to make new friends and good connections

-Take the first semester off from a job to allow time to adjust to the college lifestyle

-Notice the bulletin boards around campus-they hold fun and usually free activities

-Apply for internships or co-ops to prepare for after-college (as well as earn some much needed money)

-Maintain a strong relationship with your academic advisor- advisors help students get into classes they might be shut out of and will help find internships, co-ops and jobs

-Get some sort of back-up devise for computers in case of crashing

-Go to all the orientation information-it may seem silly at the time but will come in handy later

-Know homesickness will happen, but also know it will pass!

-Try not to leave campus too often-this may be tempting for some students with homesickness but leaving campus frequently will make it harder to get use to college life

-Keep track of money, spending only when necessary

If you keep these tips in mind, your college experience will not be fraught with failure but be successful instead. Be sure to keep your schoolwork first, and your relations with friends and family a very close second. Also, it is important to stay healthy, so be careful not to let the pressures of college overwhelm you. Keep your mind open and your head held high and you just may find these are the best years of your life.