Are you a college freshman?  Can you believe a full month has passed since you first began your college adventure?  Have you adjusted to college life?  Have you learned to balance your newly found extra-time with making sure that all of your reading and assignments are done for class?

In the next couple of weeks, you may be faced with your first set of mid-terms as a college student.  The best way to prepare for these tests is to stay on-top of all your assignments, such as the reading, even if it’s something that is not necessarily going to be discussed in the classroom. (Click here for helpful study tips)  Your professors have the right to use that material on their exam, whether they actually devoted class time to it or not.  Oftentimes, students end up pushing off that reading, and then try to cram it all in a day or two before the test.  You may be able to read it all, but there is a good chance that you won’t retain as much of it as you would need to to do well on your exam (trust me, I know!)  It may not sound like loads of fun, but when you see the end result you will probably thank yourself for preparing ahead.

Make sure that you save some time for fun as well!  Many colleges have some great traditions, especially surrounding Halloween.  Be it pumpkin-carving, haunted houses, Halloween mixers (make sure to dress in your Halloween costume!), or having local children in the community trick-or-treat in your hallway, take advantage of all the activities your college has to offer.  The key is to plan ahead and get your work done early so that you can relax and fully enjoy yourself when the activities take place.

I hope that your freshman year is off to a wonderful start!
Val