Helpful Tips for Incoming College Freshmen from the Academy Class of 2016

High school students hear the same advice time and time again, from college counselors to teachers of every subject. Yet there are some useful pieces of advice that often go unsaid from the people who experience college themselves. Academy, Class of 2016, answered a few questions about all the advice students really have been wondering, but did not know who to ask.

Achona Online: What is the earliest time you would suggest to take classes and why?

Gabrielle Tremonti: “I take my classes based on the professor and I try to take them as early as possible, because if I have an 8 am then I’m out of class by twelve and can do homework and other things for the rest of the day, whereas if I don’t start until later then I end up just sleeping in. I’ve had 8 am [classes] Monday, Wednesday, Friday the past two semesters and it works out well; but if you know you aren’t a morning person and just won’t go, then maybe do a 9 am.”

Achona: Would you suggest bringing a car to college?

Gabrielle Vivero: “I think it’s a personal preference! I don’t have one and it’s totally fine, it’s one less thing I have to worry about. Also, you’ll have friends with cars, so if you need one more times then not you can find a car to borrow.”

Christina Thompson: “Currently I do not have my car with me at UF! It is so possible to make it without having a car. There are always friends who are willing to take you wherever you need to go! Plus if you need a ride home there is the red channel here at the University of Florida, which is the main a charter bus. I personally like going on the red channel just because it’s a great way to meet people, but if I am ever in a rush I just uber! I’ve found I can do without the car, parking tickets and the struggle of finding a spot to park.”

Achona: “What was the hardest part adjusting to college at the beginning?”

Rebecca Parillo: “The hardest part adjusting to college was dealing with the amount of free time you have. Academy does really a good job teaching you proper time management, but in college, you’ll probably only have 2 or 3 classes a day, and they’re not always one after the other. In high school, you wake up, go to school, have sports/clubs, go home, do your homework, eat, and go to bed. This year, I had so much free time that I didn’t know what to do with myself, and I’d end up wasting all my time taking naps and watching Netflix. It’s important to really manage time and create a routine.”

Achona: “What has been the biggest adjustment from an all girl school?”

Amelia Llerena: I think the hardest part is leaving a place that provides so much support and encouragement and adjusting to a new environment. Sometimes you feel like you have to do a lot on your own. With anything I was involved in at Academy, I felt like I was surrounded by people who cared about me. College is a lot of fun, but there is something special about the sisterhood found at an all-girl school.

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Achona: How did you get all your stuff from home to California in the beginning? And how often do you come home?

Bailey Piboolnuruk: “I pretty much only bought clothes with me. Before coming to University of Southern California in Los Angeles, I went to Bed Bath & Beyond and filled out a registry where I picked out everything else I needed. When I got to school everything I picked out was waiting for me at the nearest Bed Bath & Beyond.”

Achona: Was it hard packing for college and did you forget to bring anything?

Miranda Plummer: “I put it off until the night before I left because I’m THE WORSSSST (Parks and Rec reference sry I’m obnoxious). So I didn’t think it was hard, but it was also just my clothes because the Bed Bath and Beyond registry made everything so easy! For students looking to go out-of-state, I definitely recommend it. I did however by all my linens, sheets, and towels in Tampa and washed them at my house, which my mom advised me to do. It makes everything fresh and clean and smell like home! So all I really had to pack was my clothes and makeup and little things I wanted to take with me, such as pictures and things.”