Starting college is a daunting process. Often, you’re moving away from the people you know into an environment you know little about. It’s also an exciting time full of opportunities. Here are five tips to make the most of college and handle the challenges that your first semester will throw at you.

Senior Psychology Major and Researcher, Nathan Baker Shares Advice

1. Meet new people early on
The first couple weeks of fall semester are hands down one of the easiest times to make new friends and form lasting connections on campus. During this time, there are hundreds of new students like you trying to meet new people. Having friends on campus who can help you study or join you on a late-night Steak ‘n Shake run is a really nice thing. So go to events early in the semester and talk to other students. Meet the people in your classes, or even just stick around on campus between your classes and talk in the lounges. You never know when you’ll stumble into a new life-long friend.

2. Give yourself some structure
One of the biggest differences between high school and college is that college requires more self-management. You have to complete almost all your work outside of class on your own time. When you start college, it’s easy to focus on jobs or social events over schoolwork because no one is there to tell you when to get it done. If you don’t want to fall behind and end up burned out, it’s important to plan out how you’re going to get your work done. Try to do some planning every week. Look at what all you need to accomplish and set aside time to do it. By disciplining yourself to start early on projects and set aside regular times to study, you’ll end up having more freedom than you would if you didn’t plan your week out. With the peace of mind that comes with knowing that you’re on top of your projects, you can safely say yes to more activities you’d like to do, such as hanging out with friends.

3. Set yourself up for the future
At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that you’re at college for a reason. You’re here to get a degree that will land you the type of career you want. With that in mind, it’s important to make decisions now that will move you toward that goal. If you know what you want to do, look into how to best accomplish those goals. Will you need a certain GPA? Do employers in your field heavily value volunteer experience or internships? These are all things to think about now because the choices you make early on will affect your future.

If you don’t know what you want to do yet, that’s perfectly fine, but now is the best time to start exploring new things and figuring out a direction you want to go. Planning for the future can be confusing and stressful, but you won’t regret doing it. By your senior year, you’ll look back and be grateful for making good decisions during your first few semesters.

4. Experiment
A big part of succeeding in college is figuring out what works best for you. Try out new ways of studying and planning your time. There are a lot of different ways to write papers, study for tests, and work on projects. My advice is that you try out different strategies on a regular basis and find the ones that work for you. Some people love detailed planners, others work best with just a rough outline of their goals for the week. Some people do really well taking summer classes, others definitely need that break before returning to school.

Don’t just focus on experimenting with your regular classwork, though. Experiment with your college experience as well. Take classes in a wide range of subjects—who knows what might spark a new hobby. Join a campus club and see if it’s something you want to stay involved in. Step out of your comfort zone and try something new. College is a great setting for you to learn about yourself and create new memories. But for that to happen, you have to be willing to show up and try.

5. Ask for help when you need it.
Everybody experiences some struggles during college. Sometimes it’s a class where you just don’t get the material. Other times it has nothing to do with school. Maybe your parents just got divorced. Maybe you can’t afford rent and it’s stressing you out. Maybe your roommate likes to blast Andrea Bocelli opera pieces every morning at 6 AM. Whatever the cause, it is important to reach out to others for advice, sympathy, and help. Your family and friends are great for this, but often when you’re just starting college these people aren’t close by. Luckily Ohio State Marion offers great community support. The professors, peer leaders, and staff love to help students. Never be afraid to reach out to one of the counselors when you’re stressed, or a professor when you’re having trouble in class. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help, because everyone here has had their ups and downs during college. The people here want to help you succeed, so let them build you up.