{"id":2174,"date":"2024-07-06T12:37:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-06T12:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oraclerealestategroup.com\/campus-life-advisory\/stage\/?p=2174"},"modified":"2025-06-17T21:27:30","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T21:27:30","slug":"how-to-create-the-ultimate-first-year-college-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oraclerealestategroup.com\/campus-life-advisory\/blog\/how-to-create-the-ultimate-first-year-college-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Create the Ultimate First-Year College Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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And finding their place in the school community. By following \u00a0these tips can help you can facilitate a great experience for you new freshman class and get them acclimated and on your way to student success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get Them Involved<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Getting students involved is the best way to have the ultimate first-year experience. Make sure they have the knowledge to find the resources you\u2019re your institution has on  campus. Provide a list of  student clubs and organization fairs at the start of each semester rather than just send them to the website. Have a group meeting to ensure they know and are using the resources.  Providing a a fair focused on this subject will open the doors to campus life to your new freshmen in a big way.. Finding those with similar interests as you is a great way to make friends. If you have a special interest, there is probably someone else who does too. You can also check out the student life or student affairs website for your campus. They will provide a list of clubs with times, dates, and locations for meetings.  Whether you join in on Greek Life, enter an intramural league, or find a book club – there is something for all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step Outside Your Comfort Zone<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

College is the most important time to take on new experiences and challenges. Student life has a wide variety of opportunities available to you. There is no better time to take every opportunity to discover who you are and what you are capable of. If you were shy, quiet, or kept to yourself in high school, college doesn\u2019t have to be the same experience. In college, you have a clean slate to have the first-year experience you have always dreamed of. Don\u2019t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and integrate into campus life.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Motivate them to Go To Class<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

No, really, this is where a lot of first freshmen fail \u2013 too much freedom and it is oh so easy to get the notes rather than attend class is priorities are skewed. Most college students revel in the new freedom of having relaxed attendance policies. But, the truth is if you miss class you miss out. Professors often provide special incentives to students who are in class. Although a professor with 400 students may not recognize you are missing at first, they will notice who is there and who isn’t. Most students take between 12-18 hours of classes. This represents only a small percentage of your time per week and you (or your parents) are paying for you to be there. Each class also offers an opportunity to engage with others. You can find a potential study group or partner that can turn into a friendship. Remember, having the ultimate first-year experience is great as long as you maintain grades to experience a second year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be Sure they Meet their Professors<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Meeting your professor can help open the door to an important professional relationship. Spending the extra 5 minutes after class to meet your professor will pay off. While most students will not make the effort, introducing yourself can have benefits. For example, professors make great professional references.  Listing a professor as a reference may get you a job on campus or in your career field. They are also often willing to write recommendation letters and offer career advice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professors are real people. They understand when circumstances happen outside your control. But, coming to your professor at the end of the semester with a sob story when they have never talked to you is unlikely to be successful. Professional student-teacher relationships are key to academic success and creating a professional network.  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Be Sure they are Connecting With Their Roommate(s)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Some people are lucky enough to have a college roommate that becomes their best friend. While this may not be the case for everyone, learning to connect with your roommate is important. Finding ways to get along will help you create a needed lifelong skill. You won\u2019t always love everything about future co-workers or bosses. Learning to connect with different types of people is part of the college experience. Making connections with your roommate or those in your residence hall builds community. It also will help you to establish a support network. But, if you do have significant issues in your living situation be sure to work with your RA or housing manager.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final Thoughts<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Successful college students integrate into their college community, attend class, and create valuable relationships. The saying \u201cIt\u2019s not what you know, but who you know\u201d is an important part of life. You never know where your connections will lead you. Taking opportunities to meet new people and challenge yourself is something you will never regret. Enjoying campus life and student life is a big part of what makes college so great. So, dive in and have the ultimate first-year college experience. At Oracle Real Estate Group (OREG), we can help you find ways to streamline your campus communications and collaboration tools and utilize those tools so you get the most out of the resources you are paying for.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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A Trusted Higher Ed Advisory Team<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

At OREG, we specialize in optimizing the residential experience outcomes and increasing campus housing retention through innovative problem-solving. Our trusted team of advisors<\/a> can help your institution collaborate more effectively so you can overcome challenges and increase student engagement and success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our mission is to provide best-in-class solutions to the problems higher education institutions and their students face. We offer a broad spectrum of professional advisory consulting services backed by research, including Student Life Optimization, Facility Optimization, Community Development, Student Experience and Engagement in Campus Housing<\/a>, and more. So whether your institution needs help finding solutions to collaboration issues, or issues in campus housing, you can contact the Oracle Real Estate Grou<\/a>p for personalized support today.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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