Advice I'd Give Myself

Everyone comes to college with different experiences and abilities. Some people have been totally self sufficient for a while, others don't know how to load the washing machine. I was somewhere in the middle when I arrived for my freshman year of college. These are some of the things I wish I'd known:

How to cook for one. I learned fairly young how to cook for a family, but had no idea how to make meals for just one or two people.

How to eat a balanced and nutritious diet. I spent the first part of freshman year trying to "get the most" out of my meal plan. All I got were stomachaches and the freshman 15.

How to make a budget. I'd had a bank account and checkbook for years, but didn't know how to make a budget and stick to it.

Where to go for advice. I spent a lot of time asking other students questions because I didn't know who else to ask. For most of the questions I had, my adviser would've been the best person to ask. When in doubt, that's exactly what they're there for!

What to do when I got sick. I didn't realize how inexpensive (or sometimes FREE) the Health and Counseling Center on campus was! I could have avoided some drawn out illnesses.

Where to go to ask for help. Professors are super willing to help students out with assignments, especially if they make appointments or show up to the professor's office hours.

Where to go when I need to talk to someone. The Health and Counseling Center offers 6 free counseling sessions each semester. It's amazing how helpful they can be!

How to get involved. UAF has several excellent resources for extracurricular activities First, the LIVE (Leadership Involvement and Volunteer Experience) office, which has a list of all the active student organizations  and always has something gong on. UAF also has the Student Activities Office which always puts on great events.

I'm sure there are so many more tidbits of information I'd pass along to freshman me, but those were the most important. I hope this list helps others figure things out that took me quite some time on my own. Best of luck!