This fall more than 8-million freshmen* started their college careers on campuses all across the country. The first semester will be one of the most exciting in their college career; it will also be their most difficult. Everything is new, different and confusing. They are in a place where they have so much in common with so many people; there are bound to be distractions. Then there’s the added pressure of being responsible for figuring everything out for themselves.

As a university professor and advisor, I’ve greeted 33 freshmen classes so I know a few things about helping incoming students start college the right way. Here are five tips that will help set priorities and give this year’s freshman class insight into the smart way to start their college career:

1. Start off with the right attitude, know how special college is. Sixty-eight percent of college age students in the U.S. start college and four years later, only 19 percent graduate with a degree.* You’re special – act like it.
2. You are going to have a lot of questions – get good answers. Bad information can derail your college career. Get accurate information by going to the source: not a friend, Facebook, Twitter or something overheard in the student center. Advisors, professors and school administrators have the right advice and information. You may have responsibility for your college career but your advisor will help you take control of your college experience. They can help you figure out the classes you need, and assist you in scheduling classes so you stay on track throughout your college career.
3. The catalog for your incoming freshman class is your contractual agreement with the college or university; it gives you a clear path to graduation. If you haven’t looked at it– now would be a good time! Your catalogue clearly specifies all the conditions for graduation and the right sequence enabling you to graduate in four years. Read it, no, study it as soon as you arrive on campus and refer to it when you plan your classes with your advisor.
4. Make sure your teachers know you. Be more than a name on the class roll — put a face, personality and potential to your name. Professors respond better (as in grading) to a   person. In your first semester (and every semester thereafter), see every teacher from   every course outside of your class time. Office hours are one of the most under used resources available to students. Most of the money you spend on college goes to pay your professors, so get your money’s worth by getting some one-on-one attention.
5. Run with the Big Dogs. The Big Dogs are not the students that are most attractive, socially popular, most personable or the best dressed. The Big Dogs are the best students in your classes and they always eat first! They eat the professor’s attention, the best internships, the best jobs, salaries and the best opportunities in life.  

These five tips will get a student going, but graduation is the goal. Start smart and use these resources to stay smart every semester thereafter.

^*U. S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics – Projections of Education Statistics to 2020, 39^th Edition