They are there to help you, not harm you. They want you to succeed and they are more than willing to help you in not just your class but other aspects of you life. Take advantage of their office hours. If you show them that you are doing your best they will appreciate that and remember that forever. I once had a professor tell me, if you ask me to write you a letter of recommendation sometime and you have not taken time to come visit me during office hours, I will say no because that tells me that you really are not truly invested in your education.
2. Take time to pick your friends
The first people you meet are not necessarily going to be your best friends and that is okay. Keep searching for like minded people that you enjoy being around and will support you in your dreams and goals. Don't just settle for a group of friends. You have plenty of time to figure who you want to hang around. It took me until the end of my sophomore year to figure who my real college friends were.
3. Get involved
This by far one of the most important tips for starting college. If you don't get involved, you will never feel at home. Getting involved is the quickest and easiest way to cure homesickness. Seek out different ways to get involved on campus. There are sports teams, clubs, leadership boards, volunteer committees. Find something that you are interested in. This is a great way to meet people and pursue interests and passions.
4. Have fun
There is a lot of anxiety with starting college, and that is normal, but don't forget to go out and have fun. Yes studying is important, but if you focus too much on it, you will drive yourself insane. Take a few hours on the weekends and go out with your friends and do something fun. Make sure that you don't get so caught up in your classes and studying that you forget what how to have fun.
5. Schedule you studying
With that in mind, it is important that you get your studying done. One of the best ways to do that is to actually schedule it. Now certain things like writing a paper or completing a project are not easy to forget to do, but if it just general studying, that can get lost in the midst of everything. You will be busy, and so getting a calender, daytimer, your phone, whatever you want to use, and actually scheduling out blocks of time to study for each class is important. That way all the studying that needs to get done will.
6. Take time to talk to your family
This is an important one. Especially if you are going out of state. Your family will miss you when you leave, and they will want to know how your doing. So take time, and call or skype them. Let them know how things are going. Yes, sometimes you will be busy and it will be hard to regularly talk to them, but make sure you do.
7. It is okay to let go of the past
When you go to college, a lot of things will change. Family dynamics, friend dynamics. It is going to become harder to keep in touch with your friends from high school and back home. You all will be busy. And so it is okay to let things go. It is okay to let old friendships fade away. Sure when you go back home for breaks you will want to hang out with your buddies and that is fine, but know it is normal for things to change.
8. Be adventurous
College is all about stepping out on a limb and trying new things. It is about finding yourself, and figuring out who you are as a person, and where you want to go in your life. Don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone.
9. Make Mistakes
Now I am not saying you have to make mistakes, but what I am saying, is be okay with making them. College is the last phase of your life where making mistakes is still okay. You are still learning. Once you get into the work force, you will be condemned and punished for any mistakes you make. So be okay in the fact that you will still make mistakes.
10. Enjoy every moment
This last one is the most important. Now this is going to sound cliche, but you only live once, so make it count. College is a really special time in your life where you get to be away from home, and on your own, but with few responsibilities. You get to discover who you are, and it only lasts for four years. And those four years will go fast. Believe me. So enjoy every little moment. Enjoy spending time with your roommates and going on late night ice cream runs and staying up until four in the morning to study for finals and winning the championship basketball game. Al those moments may