Video: What to Expect When Entering College | CollegeXpress

Video: What to Expect When Entering College

The college journey can often feel like an expectation vs. reality meme. Get prepared for freshman year by learning what to expect from vlogger Jordan-Paige.

College and campus life are different for each student, of course, but there are a few general things that every new college student will definitely experience. Student vlogger Jordan-Paige explains what incoming freshmen should expect before entering college. Check out the video below!

 

5 key things to know before starting college

  • There are going to be college parties, and at times, you may feel pressured to do something you’re not comfortable with. Always remember you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, and keep in mind whether or not that decision you’re about to make is going to help or hurt you on your path in life.
  • Find new friends but keep the old. You’ll be meeting many new people and making new friends in college. Be open to getting to know these new people, but don’t forget to keep in touch with your old friends from back home too. The more friends, the merrier!
  • College isn’t going to be a piece of cake. You have to work hard to do well in college, but if you’re excited about your path, the hard work will be well worth it.
  • College isn’t for everyone. It’s okay if you start college and realize you want to take a gap year or decide to do something else. Not everyone takes the same path.
  • You will get homesick. It’s normal and okay to miss your family and friends. But make sure you still get out, get to know your surroundings, and meet new people, even if you’re pining for home. It’ll help you become more comfortable being away. 

Related: 5 Ways to Prepare for Freshman Year of College

You might be nervous to start college—you may even question your final college decision. But remember, this is a chance to try new experiences and find new opportunities. Just dive in and submerge yourself in a new atmosphere with new people. Good luck! 

Find more great advice from students just like you on the CollegeXpress YouTube channel!

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:

About CollegeXpress

CollegeXpress

Welcome to CollegeXpress, your one-stop college shop! We’re a free college planning website used by millions of college-bound students, parents, and counselors—anyone who needs help navigating the college search and application process, financial aid opportunities, and more. 

You’ll find comprehensive College Search and Scholarship Search tools, tons of articles and expert advice, unique college Lists & Rankings, and lots of other resources to help make your life easier. Teen Vogue even named us one of the 7 Best College Search Websites!

Current college students and recent grads also love CollegeXpress for our Graduate Program Search tool and endless information on student life, internships, and beyond. We really have something for everyone, no matter where you are in your college journey.

Create a free CollegeXpress account to start connecting with colleges, winning scholarships, and simplifying your life as a student!

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress

College Quick Connect

Swipe right to request information.
Swipe left if you're not interested.


Melanie Kajy

Melanie Kajy

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress has helped me tremendously during my senior year of high school. I started off using the college search to find more information about the universities I was interested in. Just this tool alone gave me so much information about a particular school. It was my one-stop shop to learn about college. I was able to find information about college tuition, school rank, majors, and so much more that I can't list it all. The college search tool has helped me narrow down which college I want to attend, and it made a stressful process surprisingly not so stressful. I then moved to the scholarship search tool to find scholarships to apply for because I can't afford to pay for tuition myself. The search tool helped me find scholarships that I was eligible for. The tool gave me all the information I could ever need about a particular scholarship that was being offered. The CollegeXpress scholarship search tool is so much better than other tools offered, like the Chegg scholarship search. Thanks to CollegeXpress, I was able to apply to tons of scholarships in a relatively easy way!

Joan Franklin

Joan Franklin

Counselor

I love this website and have been using it for years with my students. I originally bought products through Wintergreen Orchard House and appreciated having key facts at my fingertips when advising students. Your site is easy to access and offers a wide array of topics I need as a busy college counselor.

Ariyane

Ariyane

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress really helped me by letting me know the colleges ratings and placements. They gave me accurate information on my colleges tuition rates and acceptance. They even let me know the ration between students and faculty and the diversity of the college. Overall they told me everything I needed and things I didnt even think I needed to know about my college and other colleges I applied for.

Bri'Yana Brown-Dunn

Bri'Yana Brown-Dunn

High School Class of 2022

CollegeXpress helped me gain interest in many colleges/universities and many scholarships. I would say the most helpful thing CollegeXpress has done for me is sending me emails that tell me certain types of colleges are interested in me as well as emails about scholarships that I can look at and possibly apply for.

Lydia Huth

Lydia Huth

Student, Campbell University; CollegeXpress Student Writer

I discovered CollegeXpress while embarking on my college search journey as an excited—but scared and way confused—high schooler without a counselor or college-bound sibling to give me advice. Let me tell you, I’m so glad that I stumbled on this community! CollegeXpress helped me find potential colleges and keep application deadlines straight. It gave me a great list of scholarships, and the blogs and emails made me feel like I wasn’t going it alone. Almost three years later and with freshman year of college down, I still love the CollegeXpress vibe so much that I’m writing for them. I’d recommend this site to anyone!