College is a fun, yet extremely stressful time of our lives. Life-long friendships will be made, sleep will be lost and assignments will definitely be turned in late.

As an incoming college freshman, jumping into this chapter of your life can be scary and uncomfortable. The goal of this freshman survival guide is to help ease the nerves of new students.

#1: Studying is important, but do not let it take over your life.
College studying is much different from high school studying; it can be tedious, repetitive and time consuming. While studying to get good grades is important, it is not everything in life. Make memories with your friends, stay out later than normal sometimes and try new hobbies! College years are those that you will never forget and can never get back.

#2: Homesickness is normal.
Moving to a new town and living in a new environment can be intimidating. If you ever miss your bed, your mom’s cooking and your pets back home, just know that you are not the only one. You can visit home as much as you want, but remember to stay on campus for the exciting things happening here, too.

#3: Take care of yourself.
Utilize the wellness center located in the Student Center, work out at the Rec with your friends and watch what you eat in Convo. I know the dessert bar is always appealing, but make sure you are taking care of your physical health.

#4: Mental health is important
While taking care of yourself physically is important, mental health is just as important! Talk to the people around you about what is going on. Life is hard, but it is especially harder when you keep everything bottled up inside.

#5: Bring a fan
if you didn’t already. There is no air conditioning in the dorms, so a fan is necessary. Enough said.

#6: Learn how to live with your roommate.
You might get along great and you might not. Either way, you have to live with them, so try to make the best of it. If the situation gets too bad, you can always talk to your RA.

#7: Your professors are there for YOU!
Use their office hours if you need help, advice on how to get your grades up or mentoring for the future. Their job is to teach you, so always feel as though you can reach out to them. They want to help you succeed!

#8: Explore your college town.
There are plenty of local coffee shops, bakeries, ice cream shops and other restaurants around Ashland. Along with those, there are numerous shops on Main Street downtown. Get out and explore them.

#9: Be in contact with your Academic Advisor.
Your Academic Advisor will help you schedule your classes, declare a major and minor and get you to graduation. Make sure to stay in contact with them and attend the meetings they schedule with you.

#10: Get involved!
AU makes it easy to get involved on campus with the AU Bucket List, Christian groups, fraternities and sororities, diversity groups and lots of other organizations. There is something for everyone!