Each year members of the Catholic Center are asked what advice they would give to incoming students at ETSU.  Below is the advice that they offer: 

• Don’t take more than 15 hours your first semester.
• If something your advisor says sounds odd, get a second opinion.
• Find friends who are upperclassmen.
• Join a club – it will keep you sane!
• Live on campus for your first year.  It is the best way to meet a bunch of people all at once.
• Be sure to study and do the readings for class.  You will be much better prepared for exams.
• SLEEP!  Do it whenever possible … but not in class or in place of class!
• Always complete administrative matters at least 3 weeks in advance because someone, somewhere is going to screw it up and you do not want to miss a deadline because of someone else’s mistake.
• REMEMBER … all good things in moderation.
• Eat at Main Meal – not for the food but for the people you meet.
• Any kind of paperwork for the college – take care of it the day that you get it. 
• Join a club!
• Go to the Catholic Center!  Are you musically inclined?  The choir always needs more help!
• Check your campus email.
• Unplug your TV and internet when you need to do homework. 
• Drink water and get vitamins instead of energy drinks.  Energy drinks = harm to multiple body systems.
• You do not need a car!  It is more trouble than it is worth. 
• Take school seriously, but not too seriously, because if you take it too seriously, it’ll be easier to get burnt out.
• Remember that someone’s money is paying for you to go to school (whether it be through lottery, taxes, or Mom & Dad’s earnings), so always go to class.
• Don’t expect too much from people, nor set yourself up for failure. Remember that people will be people and they will fail you at times.
• Remember that people at college are far different from people at high school. We’re less petty and less judgmental; people on college campuses are very diverse and different. Don’t be afraid to be one of them.
• Pray everyday. 
• Check the website half.com for your textbooks. Believe me; you’ll save lots of money this way.
• Don’t be afraid to speak to your professor after class or in a scheduled meeting about being behind or not understanding. Tis better to do this before the exam than after. They understand that college is usually a shell-shock for most freshmen and that most freshmen get so overwhelmed that they get behind.
• There will be alcohol at most parties to which you are invited. Do not feel pressured to drink; the people who pressure you to drink are the ones who will more than likely pressure you to do other things down the line. And if you do choose to drink, always, ALWAYS, make sure to have a designated driver. It’s not worth going to jail over. Or dying.
• Don’t let your friends from high school tell you how you should be living your college life. If you want to join a Greek organization, then do it. It’s a choice with which you’ll have to live, not them. Do things that ultimately will make you happy.
• Fruits that are easy to eat on the go (apples, oranges, and bananas), crackers, peanut butter, Pop-Tarts, and other hand-held foods will be your friends for your morning classes. Along the lines of food, try to make sure you’re eating things that can be carried quickly, but are somewhat healthy. Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) can creep up quickly and quietly.
• If you live in a dorm, make sure to have shower shoes. Athlete’s Foot is a big problem if you don’t. And along the lines of health, don’t drink after anyone, but especially if you’ve not had your meningitis shot. Don’t eat after anyone . . . always remember to just get your own.
• Get to know your roommate. You’ll be spending a lot of time with him/her, so you might as well make the best of it and get to know them. Who knows, you could end up being best friends . . . or worst enemies.
• Talk to people. Clubs are good for this to meet and talk to people, but I’m emphasizing those in class and those you see as you walk, especially the ones who are walking alone and look frightened. Don’t worry about, “Will they think I’m weird” because they’re probably in the same boat as everyone else … freshman looking to know people, so do that; get to know them.
• Take advantage of what the school offers like the CPA, free plays, music…It helps you get into campus life, experience good things at cheap or free prices and meet people. Keeping busy also wards off depression.
• Immediately get rid of the “high school mentality.” It will be advantageous to do this right off, rather than be forced to do so. The mentality is that it isn’t cool to do certain things and that it IS cool to treat others badly. Those acting like this will find out really quick that these actions are not supported. Most importantly, there are many people out there thinking exactly like you: “I’m nice, but where are the others. I don’t like to drink or have sex or do drugs…” there are soooo many people who don’t conform to that, and I encourage you to seek them out.  It won’t take long; it may be hard but very worth while.
• Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to the person next to you in class. a lot of those people will end up being great study buddies and good friends
• Give everyone a try. you never know who you’ll “click” with
• Party a little but be sure to keep your focus on school
• A lot of majors offer free tutoring. CHECK IT OUT! it could end up saving your grade
• Call home at least once a week
• Be sure to find your own friends at school. A lot of old high school buddies will probably go their own way eventually. so don’t be afraid to “shop around”
• Never be scared to admit you need help. a lot of teachers will stay after or give you the name of someone
• Get someone’s number or email in every class you have. you never know when an emergency will come up and you’ll need to know what you missed in class that day
• Make time for God. It may be hard and seem impossible at times. but sometimes the best prayer sessions are over a bunch of books at 9 pm in the library on a Tuesday
• Check out campus events. they’re awesome and really get you into the mood of college life
• Friends can save you during any situation in college.
• Don’t lose your focus on the big picture, even if you have one bad semester always keep at that Degree
• Don’t declare your major till you are a Junior. The first two semesters are spent with basics anyway.
• Keep track of the credits required for your degree so ETSU doesn’t squeeze another semester or year out of you unless it is an absolute must. Money is always tight.
• Know who serves free meals for students…such as the Catholic Center twice a week.
• Find an upper classman you can trust for good advice who has their stuff together and knows a few things about the campus.