20 AUGUST 30, 2018 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
5 ways to make the most of your
fi rst year of college
When you hear people talk
about the best years of their
life, college will inevitably
come up. Aft er all, these are the years
when you can fi rst experience the
freedom of living on your own and
the time when your future will truly
be what you make of it.
It all starts with your freshman year
and that can be a little nerve-wracking
for some students and their parents.
Aft er all, while the opportunities
available in college are exciting, the
freedom can be stressful as well.
Whether you are a student planning
your freshman year or you're a parent
looking to prepare your child for the
road ahead, here are fi ve tips to make
the most of the fi rst of these best years.
• Never turn down a chance to make
a connection. This is paramount, of
course, with friend groups but it also
matters with your professors and
teaching assistants. If a professor,
for example, teaches in the fi eld you
plan to major in, you may have them
several times, and when you come
closer to graduation, they could
be integral in helping you land an
internship or even your fi rst job.
• Get a Lyft . College is already expensive
and the last thing you need is to add the
headache and expense of a car. Instead
of spending all your free time working
to pay for things like gas or insurance,
use Lyft to get off campus. The fastest
growing rideshare program in the
United States, Lyft is available to 95 percent
of the U.S. population, meaning no
matter where you need to go, there's
a Lyft driver that can take you there.
Plan your activities with Lyft in mind
and your additional freedom will be
invaluable.
• Take a part-time job in a fi eld that interests
you. If you don't have a defi nitive
answer to the question, "What do
you want to do with your life?" - and
few freshmen do - then your fi rst year
of college is a great time to start narrowing
that down. Take a job related
to a fi eld that interests you and use it
to learn more about the industry and
the roles you may hope to attain with
your degree. It's a great way to sample
the fi eld without committing to it.
• Join a club sport or activity. If you're
looking to make new friends and feel
like part of a team at your new school,
joining a club sport or activity is a
great way to do it. You can use the
opportunity to continue a high school
passion or to learn something completely
new - just look for something
that will be new to most other people
as well. Either way, it's a great chance
to meet and bond with new people
that share your common interest.
• Embrace who you are. Trying new
things is one of the best aspects of going
to college, but don't let those new
opportunities sacrifi ce who you really
are. Stay true to your values and your
passions and you'll fi nd the friends,
activities and courses that match what
you want to get out of college now and
in the years ahead.
To learn more about how Lyft c
an support you everywhere
you want to go, visit Lyft .com.
Courtesy BPT
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