Off to College: Now What? A Practical Guide to Surviving and Succeeding Your First Year of College

Review
I closed the door to North Hall room 329 and turned around. As I looked past the new computer on the desk and the waist-high refrigerator sitting next to the extra-long twin bed, I could see Ben Hill Griffin Stadium staring back at me. After a few moments, I saw two people walk across the street toward the parking lot. They stopped, turned, looked for my window, and waved. I waved back. Mom and Dad were going home…without me. I was excited, nervous, anxious, and motivated. Name the emotion; I was feeling it that August afternoon at the University of Florida. I was now a Florida Gator, and there was no turning back. This was not a high school with 900 students where every teacher knew my name. This was a campus of 45,000 people where you were lucky to find a parking spot. My roommate was a friend from high school and had not arrived yet. I had no idea what to do next except unpack and hook up my computer. Unpacking went well, but getting the Internet to work was a different story. While struggling to figure out what an Ethernet cord was (who knew it did not come with the computer), I took a break and went to eat dinner at the dining hall. Luckily, another friend from high school who lived in the residence hall next to mine had a meal plan too. I explained my computer issues to him while we ate our first college meal. There is more to the freshman experience than just picking out sheets and towels and searching for your new roommate on Facebook. Going to college is a life-altering experience. Author Jessica Linnell s Off to College: Now What? A Practical Guide to Surviving and Succeeding Your First Year of College will empower you to prepare for college, make decisions after you arrive, and have a successful first year. I was given a book similar to this one before going to college. It was an excellent resource to me and other freshmen that I got to know on my floor. It gave good insights and suggestions on how to succeed as a freshman, and I found myself pulling it out at different times throughout my first semester. Similarly, this book will provide you with the same useful information in an easy-to-read format that includes tips from fellow students and college administrators. Although college is, in large part, an academic experience, there are so many other things to consider. Have you thought about how to get involved on campus? Do you know what to do if you do not get along with your roommate? Have you created a monthly budget? What will it be like the first time you visit home? These questions and many more will be answered in Linnell s book, which will prepare you for what to expect. It is guaranteed to guide you through your first year of college. After finishing my first year in college, I looked up at the window to North Hall room 329 before I pulled away. I was going home for the summer. Nine months had passed, but it seemed like I had just moved in. I finally got the Internet working, got used to wearing shower shoes, realized that attending a 7:30 a.m. class was challenging, and learned not to drive my car during the middle of a weekday if I wanted a parking spot when I returned. I smiled as I pulled away because I had done what one had said I could not. I survived, and so can you! –Kelly R Doel, Area Coordinator