1. Tips For Incoming
College Students
By: A Fellow College Student

2. Bio
Greetings future college student! My name is Mike Swormstedt, and I am
currently a 4th year mechanical engineering student at the University of
Cincinnati. From personal experience, I know that making the transition from
high school to college is fairly intimidating. I had many questions and I was
unsure if the information I was reading online would apply to me. In creating
this Wiki I hope to answer some of the questions you may have about
engineering and/or college in general by providing tips I found to be useful.
This PowerPoint will cover information that is important for all incoming
college students, such as how to meet people, what to bring to school, how to
pick a good class/professor, and how to manage schoolwork with social life.

3. How to Meet People
Meeting people is important, especially if you do not
know anyone at the same school. Many people are
nervous about meeting other people, so don‟t be
outgoing! Some ways in which you can meet many
people at your school include:
• Attend organization meetings and join if
interested. Most organizations, and even colleges,
will have meetings that first week you are on campus
before classes start. Attend any you might be
interested in joining.
• Go Greek. Joining a fraternity or sorority may not be
for everyone, but it can be a good way to meet a lot of
people and get involved in school activities. If
interested, participate in RUSH week.
• Meet students in your major. These are people that
you may have classes with all 4 or 5 years of school.
Getting to know these people will not only allow you
to build friendships, but also provide you with a group
of people you can study/do homework with.
• Meet people in your dorm/apartment. If anything,
go around an introduce yourself to the people you live
around.

4. What to Bring to School
When moving away to school, the first
question that often arises is “What should I
bring?” College is going to be your home
away from home, so you want to make sure
you have everything you need to live
comfortably, while avoiding bringing too
much. Most college freshmen are required to
live in dorms, and the rooms in dorms are
typically small. A common 2 person room
doesn‟t allow for much more than 2 beds, 2
closets, 2 dressers, 2 desks, and a
minifridge/microwave combo. If you know
where you are going to live, see if it is
possible to take a tour before you move in.
This will give you a good idea what the space A dorm room similar to the one I had Freshmen year
available is, and how much you can bring.

5. Essential Items
Some items I found to be mandatory
to have included:
• Clothes and hangers • School Supplies (paper, folders, pencils,
• Shoes pens, calculator, etc)
• Shower shoes • Coat/jacket
• Bedding (pillows, sheets, comforter, • Cell phone
blankets, etc.) • Medicine (Advil, cold medicine, band
• Clock/Alarm aids, etc.)
• Desk lamp • Health insurance card
• Toiletries (toothbrush, soap, shampoo, • Power strip
deodorant, etc.) • Umbrella
• Laundry detergent • Paper towels
• Snacks • Batteries
• Book bag

6. Optional Items
Items that are nice to have around to
make your room feel like home, but
are not mandatory include:
• Laptop (Ethernet cable if internet isn‟t • More comfortable chair
wireless) • Extra drawers
• TV • Posters
• Stereo • Basic tools (screwdrivers, hammer)
• MP3 player + headphones • Printer
• Video games • Office supplies (stapler, hole punch,
• Movies paper clips, tape, etc.)
• Books • Kitchenware (plates, cups, silverware)
• Personal fan • Personal items that will help make your
room feel like home

7. Additional Items
Here is a link that includes a list of items students
should consider bringing to school. Use it as a
checklist!
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/college-success/9763.html

8. Choosing Good Classes/Professors
Obviously, the most important part of
college is the classes. In most cases
you will be required to take certain
classes for your major, and therefore
will be unable to chose a specific
time/professor if there is only one
opening. This is especially true later
in your college career when classes
are major specific. There are times,
such as choosing electives, in which
you have freedom to pick a class you
would like to take. If there are
multiple offerings for a class, you
may have the ability to pick what time
and/or professor you want.
A sample course offering list

9. Tips for Choosing a Good
Class/Professor
• Find something that interests you. Universities offer hundreds of classes.
Electives are your opportunity to get away from your major if you choose.
While you may be tempted to pick an „easy A‟ class, try to pick a class that you
will enjoy, or that will benefit you from a career standpoint.
• Use websites such as Rate My Professors. Websites like this allow students
that have taken certain classes or had certain professors to share their personal
experiences.
http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/index.jsp
• Talk to upper classmen in your major. Again, there is a good chance that
upper classmen in your major have taken the same classes/had the same
professors as you. Ask them what to expect and/or how to succeed in a given
class.
• Sometimes you will get stuck with a poor professor! If this happens and you
find yourself struggling, seek help from other students or learning centers.

10. Managing School with Social Life
Taking class is the reason you go to college, but it is also
important to enjoy your time there. Here are some tips to be
successful in class and enjoy life outside of it:
• Get away from schoolwork for a while! Don‟t get
overwhelmed with schoolwork. Make sure to set aside
some time to do things you like such as exercising,
playing sports, hanging out with friends, etc.
• Manage time wisely, use breaks in between classes to
get things done. Getting work done during random
breaks will free up time later.
• Get most of your homework done before the weekend.
Weekends should be a time for fun and relaxation. In
order to keep up with your schoolwork and keep
weekends free, get homework done during the week
when less is going on.

11. Closing
College is a big moment in your life. Follow these tips and
you will have a great time while also being successful.
Any links I have posted in the slideshow are available on
the helpful links part of the Wiki. Good luck!