First Time Freshman

New to College?

Congratulations! You've finished high school, maybe got some work (and life) experience under your belt, and you're now ready to take on the journey of completing your bachelor's degree. Are you ready? Let's find out!

This page offers information to help you navigate your first year, learn to speak that higher education lingo, and prepare you for your academic journey.

Let's start off with some common things that many students experience in their first year that they may not have been expecting.

I had no idea how much I would have to read and study!

I had to learn how to manage my time with school and life.

My professors don't often remind us about work that's due, it's up to me to remember and turn it in at the deadline.

I had to practice a lot of self-discipline and utilize the resources I had to keep me on track.

In a nutshell, it's quite an adjustment to college life. But we're here to help you not only survive...
but to THRIVE!

Here are some things that are helpful to know in a student's first year

Associates vs. Bachelors vs. Masters:
Associate's Degrees are two-year degrees and are more commonly found at community colleges. Bachelor's degrees are four-year programs focusing on general education and required courses for a degree program, typically at four-year universities. Master's degrees are generally completed after a bachelor's degree and take, on average, two years to complete.

General Studies:
General Studies (English, Science, Math, Humanities, etc.) are courses required of every student attending college. Want to learn more about ASU's General Studies? Click here!

Credit Hours:
The measurement used in higher education to represent how much work a student applies toward a course.
The average course is at least 3 credit hours, but it can also vary from 1 credit to 2 credits, 4 credits, and more. Credits will add up to the minimum hours required to graduate (120 at ASU). Students may have earned AP/IB credit, CLEP test scores, or dual credit while in high school and are encouraged to submit any potential credit.

Lower Division and Upper Division:
There are two course levels for undergraduate students.

Lower Division courses are 100-200 level courses that include general introduction and broad survey classes.
Upper Division courses are 300-400 level courses that focus more specifically on a particular subject; they may be more challenging and include more assignments that require college-level research and essay writing.

Electives:
These courses do not satisfy any particular general studies or degree requirements, but are counted toward the credit hour minimums required. They can be used toward minors or dual degrees, to explore other subjects students may be interested in, or to broaden knowledge in a chosen field.

Academics

Scheduling

Full-Time/Part-Time:
Be aware of the amount of credits you feel capable of taking in a semester and in a session.
12 credit hours are considered full-time, while 6 credit hours are considered part-time. The amount of credit hours you take could also affect your financial aid benefits, including grants and scholarships, so be aware of how many credits you need to be enrolled in!

Add/Drop/Withdrawal:
Students are highly encouraged to remember important academic dates, including the deadline for adding, dropping, or withdrawing from courses on their schedule. Dropping a class is as if you never took the course in the first place; it does not reflect on your transcript, and there is no tuition charge. Withdrawing from a course now means you've passed the drop deadline, resulting in a W on your transcript, and tuition rates may still apply.
So keep this in mind when scheduling your classes and adjusting your schedules!

Plan It Out:
Planning ahead will keep you ahead! Consider the amount of homework you might have, how long certain courses may take you in particular (science, math, and English tend to be the most common challenges!), and how long it may take you to get to your next class if you're on campus. Plan your schedule ahead of time to stay on track and have enough time in between courses and coursework.

Syllabus:
An overview of the texts, assignments, test dates, grading and attendance policy, overall expectations, and other important information deemed important that an instructor distributes at the start of the course. Some will be long and detailed, while others are short. But to know what is expected and have an idea of what you'll experience in the course, read the syllabus!

Attendance:
Instructors may outline attendance policies within a syllabus. The following is an example of what an instructor might include in their syllabus regarding their expectation for students:

Students should not expect a passing grade in the course if more than four classes or assignments have been missed. The instructor may withdraw a student for excessive absences. Instructor reserves the right to raise or lower your grade based on attendance and work ethic.

Grading Policy:
The syllabus will also reflect what the instructors expect with regard to grades and the grading policy implemented at ASU. To review what grades mean and the policies at ASU, click here.

Assignments:
College assignments will require students to think critically, analyze and solve problems on your own through essays, lab experiments, exams, etc., all in the effort to prepare you for your future career. Research will likely be a major component in your time here and could be simple or more complex, more involved or more interactive, or need more research for assignments than others. More importantly, there is not always a chance for make-up work or extra credit in college courses, so stay on task! Some instructors are willing to work with students in passing the class, but others may not be so generous.

Classes

Know Your Learning Style

Did you know that each person has a primary way of learning new information? Known as learning styles, they reflect the way you're most comfortable learning new things.

Visual Learners tend to take detailed notes, like to see what they're learning, and respond better to visual formats such as charts, graphs, or diagrams. They often have vivid imaginations and think in pictures.

Auditory Learners prefer to learn by listening and speaking and often have strong listening skills and a good memory. They enjoy talking as expression, excel in group discussions, and may find quiet, solitary work a little more challenging.

Kinesthetic Learners learn best through physical activity such as performing hands-on tasks. They do better learning in multi-sensory environments and remember the best by doing.

Reading & Writing Learners can learn best by reading and writing and can often also be considered visual learners. But these learners tend to retain information best when they write it down or repeatedly read or write what they want to remember.

A professor's primary teaching style may not match a student's learning style, so it can be helpful for students to be aware of their own learning style to better shape their studying to do well in every class.

Academic Expectations are higher!
Homework can often be more time consuming outside of the classroom, which many students are not prepared for. Students can also give a certain amount of effort in high school, taking the same effort to college, and find that the same pace no longer works and does not produce the same grades. Plus, not having classes every day can make students feel as though they have plenty of time, but may become overwhelmed if the amount of work and time necessary is not balanced out through the semester.

Student and Teacher Contact Is Less Frequent and More Formal
Frequent classes in high school allow for close and frequent contact. With classes less often, faculty are often only available during certain times and usually hold more than one class at a time. Questions or concerns may not always be answered in a timely manner as a student might hope, such as the same day or even the next day; students will need to learn to reach out as soon as possible if their question or concern is time sensitive.

Teachers in high school also often remind students about homework or how they can prepare for their next class period. College professors often expect students to be aware of important dates by the time they receive the syllabus, at the beginning of class. Students are responsible for and expected to keep up with deadlines and time management.

Ask For Help...
At any time during your academic journey, every student needs to know that our ASU faculty and staff are available to help students during their time here. Asking for help can be hard, especially for our online students, but we highly encourage students to reach out! Even if the person you contact doesn't know the answer, they can point you in the right direction. ASU has many resources available to students, which can be found at this link.

High School
vs College

So reach out to your advisors!

We highly encourage students to reach out at least once a semester to check their progress.

Advisors provide a safe, judgment-free space for students to address academic, personal wellness, financial, and career concerns that may be going on.

These are just a few examples of the things we hear from students and provide support for!

But don't forget...
your Success Coaches are here for you too!

Success Coaches can act as your ASU cheerleaders and provide support in a number of ways. They can often point you in the right direction if you have any questions along the way.

Grow to learn and learn to grow!

College is a great training ground for students to self-advocate and empower themselves. Students can adjust their schedules to how they feel works best for them, or even let their advisors know that taking math and science at the same time may not benefit them.

Students are encouraged to explore new ideas, strengthen existing hobbies and interests, or discover all new ones! Students are encouraged to add minors, add dual degrees, or take elective courses in different areas of interest to learn all they can. Ask yourself questions, engage with challenging classes, don't be afraid to speak up, and be open to all the new experiences you'll encounter.

Students in their first year are learning to navigate their new environment, which can be overwhelming, leaving many feeling out of control and uncertain about their path. But while this time may be a big transition, it's the chance for each student to grow and learn more about themselves, including exploring who they are in this new world!

Now the fun begins!

You're now ready to start your college career!

Don't forget to look through our Team Thrive website to learn more about our team advisors, available resources, and useful information during your time at ASU.

It may also be helpful to look through our FAQ, specifically our Higher Ed Lingo section to start understanding all the terms that you'll hear.

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact your Success Coaches or our advisors for additional information.

Welcome to ASU, and good luck on your academic journey!

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