So, it’s nearly time to leave the nest and get out in to the great wide world. Get ready for a bit of a shock. You’re not top of the tree anymore, you’re the bottom, a freshman, the lowest of the low.

Have no fear though, if you want, this can be the start of the greatest time of your life so far. Total independence, do what you want, go where you want, when you want. It’s not all fun and games though, after all, there’s work to be done too.

Learning how to balance everything can be the difference between a great year, and an awful one. That’s why we’ve put together some tips to help you as you get ready for the first day, of the rest of your life.

Life is short, make this part of the journey some of the best years of your life!

MONEY

Money Management

Managing your money while in college is one of the less pleasant tasks you’ll face that first year on campus, but it’s also one of the most important. Chances are this will be your first foray into responsible adulthood, and making sure your finances are in order is no longer your parents’ duty.

Be Budget-Conscious

The basics of money management always include knowing how to budget. If you’re someone who likes making lists, keep a spreadsheet of how much money you’ll need and what you should be spending on all of your expenses. If you want more flexibility and to account for unknown factors like late-night pizza runs or car repairs, you may need to figure out another source of income besides your financial aid package and look for part-time jobs. If you’re lucky enough to have money left over once you’ve drawn up your budget, that extra money could be your personal expenses and emergency fund. You don’t need to sit in your room to be a smart spender and a smart saver, but a detailed budget will take you a long way toward keeping you from spending beyond your means.

Decisions Now Matter Later

That credit card with the low student interest rate may seem pretty appealing at first. After all, signing up now will get you a free t-shirt. But any decision involving opening a new line of credit should be approached with caution. If you already have one credit card, stick to the one, and use it for emergency expenses only. If you start pulling out that credit card whenever you don’t feel like eating off your school’s meal plan or to buy a pair of shoes you spied at the mall the other day, you could be in trouble once that first bill arrives and you’re only able to pay the minimum balance, or worse yet, you pick up a fee for missing a payment.

Too many college students rack up thousands of dollars in debt seemingly overnight, hurting their credit scores in the process. In 2009, Sallie Mae reported the average credit card debt load of graduating college seniors was $4,100 - a 41-percent increase from the same study conducted in 2004. A low credit score will follow you out of college, and could affect whether you’re able to afford major purchases post-graduation. A high credit score, on the other hand, will get you better rates on things like your car insurance, and will be crucial when you’re finally looking to buy a home.

SEX

Taylor Swift doesn’t have a better song than “Fifteen”. So be careful with your heart and know that life will get better.

While some say you can’t have a boyfriend as a freshman in college, it’s perfectly okay. Just be sure to make time for your friends as well. Remember it’s still your first year and making friends is vital. It’s all about the balance!

Sex (the awkward parental taboo conversation uncovered….)

For many young men and women, this week marks the start of a new chapter of life — one of higher learning, critical thinking, problem solving, horizon broadening, and lots and lots of casual sex. It’s a whole new world of unchaperoned independence and freedom combined with 18-year-old hormones — which can result in a lot of really bad life decisions. Follow these rules to save yourself from (at least some) sex-related humiliation and regret.

Keep your condom shelf fully stocked at all times. Whether you’re a man or a woman, make sure you keep a healthy supply of condoms on hand, for you, for your friends, for friends of friends.

Carry a condom on you at all times.

Don’t do it drunk. You will get drunk. Too drunk. Way too drunk. Probably on more than one occasion. We’re not talking about a good, healthy buzz, no, we’re talking completely drunk. And when that happens, when your balance starts to fail and your voice gets really loud and the room spins a bit, try with all your might NOT to hook up with someone. The chances of it not going well are exceedingly high.

Have a no hook-up zone. Ground zero is your dorm room and the zone radiates out from there. The closer anyone lives to ground zero, the less advised you are to hook up with them.

Don’t sleep with anyone to get them to like you. This will not work. Sleep with someone because you are attracted to them and would like to have sex now, but only if you can do so without any expectations of a future relationship. If you think sex tonight means you’re dating tomorrow, think again.

Avoid having sex in a fraternity/sorority house. This is home and you might end up in an uncomfortable or embarrassing situation.

Don’t hook up with your friends’ exes. We know college is inherently incestuous. But you’ve got four more years with your friends. Don’t make it awkward.

Be open and honest about STDs. You’re jumping into a pool of smart, well educated, fun, attractive, decent people — some of whom have sexually transmitted diseases.

Don’t get a crush on your professor. It’s so cliche.

Get familiar with your health centre. The good ones will have free condoms, STD information and check-ups, Plan B and pregnancy tests. The health centre is your friend.

PARTYING

Party, party, party…

1. First and foremost work out how you are going to get back ie. Friend, bus, taxi.

2. Don’t let your drink out of your sight.

3. Keep a count on how many you have drank and know your cut off.

Have fun. College and University are supposed to be your greatest moments in life! Live it and love it to the fullest everyday!

Be aware of your surroundings. This sounds like a given, but in a situation involving lots of people, it can be easy to lose track of what may be happening around you. If you are drinking at a party, opt to mix or pour your own drink or watch the person who is doing the mixing or pouring. If you have to step away from your drink for a few minutes, ask someone you trust to guard it or even hold it for you. Whether you’re with a group or on your own, knowing what types of situations may put you at greater risk of rape or sexual assault on campus can help you avoid those scenarios. Go with your gut instincts and don’t be afraid to look over your shoulder every once in a while when you are walking home, especially if you are alone.

WORK

The reason you’re at college in the first place. You can play hard, as long as you work hard, and depending on your course you might have to do that from day one.

The ability to say “no.” Party this weekend? Cool club to join? Overnight trip on Saturday? Quick pizza with your roommates that turns into 3 hours of just hanging out? Helping that cutie you have a crush on with the chemistry homework? Learning to say “no” can often feel darned near impossible during your time in college -- but saying “yes” to everything can often be impossible, too. Learning how to say “no” is difficult but important for good time management.

Your teachers are there to help you. This has probably already been drilled into your heads many other times, and I’m going to drill it even deeper. High school teachers want to make sure you clearly understand the material, as it becomes more and more crucial as college nears. Keep in mind that they are only trying to help you.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you aren’t comprehending the material, ask your teacher! Chances are there are others who also don’t get it and are silently asking the same question. They’ll be glad someone spoke up! If you are having great difficulty, you can also set up a time before or after school to meet with your teacher. Remember, they are there to help you!

Doing the homework really benefits you. Sure, sometimes it may seem like busy work, but it’s only making you better! You need to be devoting a good amount of time on your homework. Plus, if you do it, you will get way better grades and relieve a lot of stress off your shoulders.

Study Tips

There are a lot of great study tips out there. The best ones are the ones that work for YOU!

Here are some of my favorite study tips.

1 Find a place that you can use to clear your head and not be distracted. Having a study center that you know is ONLY for homework/studying, will help you to concentrate.

2 Ask for Slides. If your professors use PowerPoint, see if they will be posting their slides online. A lot of time, students are too preoccupied with copying notes down that we forget to listen to the actual lecture. PowerPoint slides help you keep track of the notes the professor wants. Then you can listen to the lecture and add as you go along.

3. Skim your chapters/reading assignments. Highlight or underline words that are in bold. Look at these words to get the general ideas of what your reading is about. Try to take notes as you read as well. This helps you concentrate and be present in the moment.

Get to know your professors. Whether you have a question for them or not, it is good to get to know some of the adults on your university campus. They can make great advisers and its always good for your professor to see that you’re interested in getting to know him or her and learn more about the class.

LIFE SKILLS

It may come as a surprise to some, but there is no laundry fairy, and the fridge doesn’t magically produce groceries every week. You wanted independence, you’ve got it, and all that comes with it. Here are a couple of helpful hints for the more mundane tasks that await.

You may think you know how to party, but Friday night on Front Street is a tea party compared to the carnage you’re about to witness.

Be aware of your surroundings. This sounds like a given, but in a situation involving lots of people, it can be easy to lose track of what may be happening around you. If you are drinking at a party, opt to mix or pour your own drink or watch the person who is doing the mixing or pouring.

If you have to step away from your drink for a few minutes, ask someone you trust to guard it or even hold it for you. Whether you’re with a group or on your own, knowing what types of situations may put you at greater risk of rape or sexual assault on campus can help you avoid those scenarios. Go with your gut instincts and don’t be afraid to look over your shoulder every once in a while when you are walking home, especially if you are alone.

Laundry

You are about to embark on a brand new adventure, one away from the comforts of mom’s great cooking, and the joy of freshly washed t-shirts, and neatly folded socks always right where they are supposed to be, in the bedroom dresser drawer. For some mommas trained them well and they will have NO problems at all keeping up with their weekly single supply of linens, towels, t-shirts, and briefs.

Step One – Gather all laundry and place it in the nice bright laundry tub your mom sent with you to college, you know the one filled with all the stuff you are not sure what to do with? That’s the one! Empty it somewhere that won’t intrude on your roommate’s corner, and fill it with your dirty attire. If you discover that the tub is not BIG enough for all the clothes to fit, make a note to self that you may need to wash more than twice a month. For now… fill up the tub and any pillow cases you have with all your stinky clothes, and head to the local Laundromat with that nice stack of quarters or your University access card and the TIDE detergent your Aunt Sue sent with you.

Step TWO – Empty your pockets, not the pockets you are wearing, but the dirty ones in the basket. Check the shirt pockets too, you are looking for ANYTHING, but if you find a cell phone or a wallet, that’s a JACKPOT!

Step Three – It’s a good idea to separate your laundry into three different piles, if it’s been a long time since you’ve done your laundry, like over a month, then make it four or five piles that look like this:

•Dark clothes

•White clothes

•Somewhere in between dark and white

•Linens (that would be your sheets from off your bed)

•Towels (yes, you can technically wash your towels with everything else, but if you want them to smell like momma, it’s a good habit to wash them separately with a capful of fabric softener.

Step FOUR – Now this step is not meant to confuse you. PAY CLOSE ATTENTION. After you have separated all your laundry, it’s a good idea to turn all the clothes – “right side in”. That means that when you peel off your jeans, they are “inside out.” You want to reverse that BEFORE you wash them. The EXCEPTIONS to this rule are those great baseball shirts you live in with all the cool plastic type lettering. Those you want to turn inside out. Unless of course, they are already inside out ?. Confused yet? Wash AND dry those inside out with the letters on the INSIDE. Wash in warm and dry on warm.

Step FIVE – Place clothes in the machine, DO NOT OVERSTUFF, fill the machine ¾ of the way full and use one capful of the detergent. There usually is a little line in the cap that you want to fill it up to. Just pour it in and push start.

Step SIX – Do some homework, it’s going to take about 45 minutes.

Step SEVEN – Remove wet clothes from the washer, SHAKE them out BEFORE you put them in the dryer and it will decrease your wrinkles tenfold. Turn the dryer to ON.

Step EIGHT – Do some more homework.

Step NINE – When the buzzer dings, they are done, check to see if they are still wet, you may need to add more quarters. Remove when dry and fold immediately.

The following tips are for the more experienced Freshman and are great “Rules of Thumb” for laundry, but…

•When it doubt, always use cold water. They will still get clean.

•DO NOT Wash anything fuzzy (like towels, wash cloths, blankets, fuzzy jackets, sweaters, etc.) with anything that is dark.

•BE CAREFUL of things made of cotton, nylon, rayon or polyester. These shrink and should only be washed in lukewarm water if they’re real dirty OR cold water, if they are not real dirty. It’s usually best to stick to cold water with these materials, if possible.

• DO NOT put brand new dark clothes, especially navy, black, red or newly bought tans, in with light colored clothes. Wash these separate the first few times. This especially is true for blue jeans.

• Try not to leave wet clothes sitting in the washer, even if you are extremely busy. The clothes can lose their freshness and some materials can even shrink!

WRINKLES: To help remove wrinkles from clothes, dampen another piece of laundry or a towel (and throw in another dryer sheet) and put in with the wrinkled clothes and dry on low heat for about 15 minutes. Sometimes this works; sometimes you end up ironing.

Time Management

There’s a time to work and a time to play, but if you get the mix right you can do enjoy the university experience to the fullest, everyday.

Spacing things out. Translation: Don’t procrastinate. Do you know you have an ugly midterm/paper/lab report/research project due in one month? Don’t wait until the last week to get started. Space things out a bit so you manage your time and workload in a steady flow instead of one gigantic wave.

Using social time wisely. College is amazing because there is always something fun going on that you want to be a part of. Unfortunately, college is also incredibly challenging for this exact same reason. Instead of feeling like you’re missing out on something whenever you try to do your homework, work at your on-campus job, etc., remind yourself that there will be something fun to do once you’re done. And then you won’t have to feel guilty about enjoying yourself, since you’ll be all caught up.

Prioritizing and reprioritizing -- constantly. No matter how on top of things you are, life just happens sometimes ... which means, of course, that you’ll get sick, your computer will crash, your roommate will have some kind of drama, or you’ll lose your cell phone. Good time management often requires the ability to prioritize and reprioritize and reprioritize again as things come up. And having good time management skills also means that, when things shift around, you’ll be able to deal with it instead of suddenly finding yourself in a crisis.

Keeping your health/sleep/exercise in check. Sure, you have about 25 hours worth of work to do each day -- and that doesn’t count the time required to sleep, eat, and exercise. Yet filling in those 3 little things can really make all the difference in your ability to manage your time well in school. Staying up a little too late here or there? Maybe not eating a healthy dinner every night of the week? Usually okay. Making those actions not just exceptions but patterns in your college life? Bad idea. In order to stay on your game, you have to be physically and mentally able to play your game. Practicing a little self-care can really go a long way to making sure you can take care of all you need to do with the limited time you have at school.

Skype home! (Call parents first to remind them to be ready!) If your schedule allows, it might be a good idea to set up a regular time each week or every few weeks to Skype with your parents. Once you get used to the schedule, you won’t forget to talk to your parents for long periods of time like many college kids do.

You’ll be surprised at how quickly your clean room can turn into a total disaster. Set aside 30 minutes every few days to organize your belongings and clean up. It’ll make you feel more at ease and you’ll be happy to have friends over or do homework in your room.

Find out how to use the public transportation system in your local area. It’ll be really useful, save you time and money, and help you to get off campus! It feels good to get away sometimes.

Room Design – You can personalise your room with posters, a Bermudian flag and fun linen for a reasonable price.

Security - Ask yourself the question “Where are you going to keep your valuables (passport, jewelry, etc…)?”

HEALTH

When we say health, we really mean beware the freshman 15, that rapid weight gain that strikes most students in their first year.

The freshman 15 challenge is to stay fit and eat healthy while maintaining a very busy schedule. Most college students are constantly on the go, which makes it more difficult to find time to exercise, and to eat right instead of just grabbing “fast food”. Challenge yourself to make healthy eating and regular exercise part of your daily routine to help avoid the freshman 15.

The causes of the freshman 15 may seem to be common sense for many people, but others struggle to understand why they gain so much weight during the first year at a college or university. Here is a list of a few of the causes of the freshman 15 that should be avoided as much as possible:

* Lack of exercise

* Eating late at night

* Keeping unhealthy snacks on hand (in the dorm room)

* Eating unhealthy cafeteria food

* Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol

Go to the gym. Plan ahead when it comes to what exercise classes you’ll take each year.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Repeat.

Make sure you get the right meal plan. Be honest with yourself about how often you’ll actually visit the dining hall. Choose the right meal plan so you don’t waste money.

See if there are any exercise classes in your local area. While it’s sometimes hard to go to the gym in college, finding an exercise class at a set time will make exercising easier for you.

Buy a first aid kit. It may come in useful.

Take multi vitamins regularly.

Cooking and Shopping

BREAKFAST

OMELETS

The yolks should be beaten lightly. Too much beating will make them too thin and it is said that twelve beats is the magic number. Add the milk, pepper, salt and flour if it is used, and lastly add the whites beaten to a stiff froth.

The skillet should be as hot as possible without scorching the butter; after putting in a tablespoonful of butter the omelet should be poured in and it should begin to bubble and rise in flakes at once. It should be raised from the bottom occasionally with a thin, broad-bladed knife to prevent burning. Fold over as soon as the under side is set enough to hold together. Shake the skillet so as to free the omelet, slide it carefully on a hot platter and serve at

once. It should be cooked in from three to five minutes.

1. _Omelet — One cup of milk, 3 eggs, 1 heaping tablespoonful of flour, and a little salt. Beat the eggs separately; stir milk, flour and eggs together; turn into a hot frying pan. Cook with plenty of butter; cut in quarters and fold over the other.

2. Potato Omelet — One cup of cold mashed potatoes, put again through the ricer; 1 eggs beaten separately; salt; drop from a spoon on a hot, well-buttered skillet; when brown turn and brown on the other side. Serve at once.

3. French Omelet — Thoroughly beat 8 eggs separately; add to the yolks 8 tablespoonfuls of sweet milk, 1 tablespoonful of flour, 1 tablespoonful of good baking powder, pepper and salt; beat well together; then fold in lightly at the last, the beaten whites. Have ready a skillet with melted butter, smoking hot, and pour in the mixture; let cook on bottom, then put in oven from 5 to 10 minutes; serve at once.

4. Baked Omelet — One cup of boiling milk, 6 eggs, 1 teaspoonful of cornstarch, mixed with a little cold milk; season with salt and pepper;

beat the yolks of eggs light and pour upon them the boiling milk; stir in the cornstarch; whip in the beaten whites of eggs; have dish well buttered and hot; then pour in omelet and bake 12 minutes, or until set in the

middle. Serve at once.

5. Jelly or Marmalade Omelet — Make a plain omelet and just before turning one half over the other spread it with jelly or marmalade.

6. Ham Omelet — Make a plain omelet and sprinkle on some finely chopped ham just before turning one half over the other. Garnish with small pieces of ham.

Scrambled Eggs — Melt a tablespoonful of butter over a hot fire, add four beaten eggs and stir quickly for one or two minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Some increase the quantity by adding three-fourths of a cup of milk. The butter should be put in first and the other ingredients added and stirred until the whole thickens. When done it should be soft and creamy. Fine served on toast.

Lunch / Dinner

THE BEST SPAGHETTI BOLOGNASE

Ingredients

• 500g Fresh Beef Mince.

• 400g Dried Spaghetti.

• 4 Rashers of Smoked Streaky Bacon, finely diced.

• 2 Tins of Plum/Chopped Tomatoes.

• 6 Fresh Cherry Tomatoes.

• 2 Medium Onions, peeled and finely diced.

• 2 Sticks of Celery, trimmed and finely diced.

• 2 Carrots, trimmed and finely diced.

• 2 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and finely diced.

• 1 Medium Chilli (optional), seeded and finely sliced

• 75g Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese, plus extra for grating over.

• 2 tbsp Tomato Puree

• 1 Beef Stock Cube.

• Glass of red wine (optional)

• Herbs:

• 2-3 Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary.

• Handful of Fresh Basil, plus extra for Garnish.

• 1 tsp Dried Oregano.

• 1-2 Fresh Bay Leaves.

• Olive oil.

• Sea Salt and Black Pepper.

• Crusty bread, to serve.

Method

1. Get yourself a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, and place it on a medium heat. Add a good lug of olive oil and gently fry your bacon until golden and crisp, then reduce the heat slightly and add your onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Next remove the leaves from the Rosemary sprigs and add them to the pot, discarding the sprigs. Move everything around and fry for around 8-10 minutes until the veg has softened.

2. Next, increase the heat slightly, add the mince and stir until the meat is browned all over.

3. Stir in your tins of plum/chopped tomatoes, (plum tomatoes are best as they contain less water, but either will turn out great!). Add your remaining herbs, tomato puree, stock cube, chilli and if using, the wine. Slice your cherry tomatoes in half and throw them in aswell.

4. Give everything a stir with a wooden spoon, breaking up the plum tomatoes as you go and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low-medium, put the lid on and leave it blipping away for about an hour and 15 minutes until the flavours develop into a wonderfully rich tomatoey sauce. Stir occasionally to make sure it doesn’t catch.

5. Just as the sauce is nearly ready, Add the parmesan and season to taste. Meanwhile add salt to a pan of boiling water and cook the spaghetti according the the packet instructions. Once the spaghetti is ready, drain it in a colander and add it to the pan with the sauce. Give it all a good stir, coating the pasta in the lovely tomato sauce. Serve with a little grated parmesan and use the extra basil leaves to make a great little garnish. Beautiful!

The beauty of Spaghetti Bolognase is that you can freeze the leftovers and change it up. Use the leftovers and make some tacos with the spaghetti sauce.

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Don’t allow your friends to define who you are. Break away from them if they don’t accept you for you.

Get very involved in extracurricular activities from the beginning. You may discover something you are super passionate about.

Seniors really aren’t so bad. They may look super intimidating, but they were in your same position years ago. They understand how you feel. You can always go to one of them if you have a question about anything. Plus, they can make pretty great friends.

Popularity means nothing, especially if you go to a small school. Don’t worry about trying to impress people, you shouldn’t have to! Just be you and make people accept you for who you are!

Don’t not do something for fear of being bad at it. Take each opportunity, no matter how difficult, as a chance to grow.

Be true to yourself. Read. Do your best. Be kind. Be true to yourself.

Don’t Sweat Finding Your Friend Group

“Don’t feel rushed to establish a clique at the beginning of freshman year. In attempts to find your place, you may jump into a group that you find out later on you actually don’t click with. Take your time and meet as many new people as possible, and you’ll settle in and find your place as the year goes on. Just because you had a big group in high school doesn’t mean you need one right away in college!” —Hannah, 19, NJ

Learn how to grocery shop before you leave. Make a date and go for a shop with your parents/guardians before you leave for University. Learn how to shop, this includes budgeting and learning how to read the labels. Probably one of the best rules of shopping is “don’t go shopping when you are hungry…”

Grocery 101

Fruits

Fruits should always have a place on your shopping list. Not only are they nutritious, but they’re also cheaper per serving than most junk food. Plus, fruits are versatile. You can eat them raw, chop them up for a dip of some kind (personally, I like apple slices slathered in peanut butter) or blend them into a delicious smoothie.

Vegetables

I know what you’re thinking. “You’re telling me to eat my veggies? What are you, my mom?” And I get it. Most people have one or two vegetables that they can’t look at without gagging a bit – it’s canned spinach for me – but the truth is, vegetables should have a place in your diet. Veggies are chock full of nutrients, can be eaten in essentially unlimited quantities because they’re low in calories and are high in fiber, which means you’ll fill up faster and won’t eat as much.

Protein

Protein is an essential component of your diet. It’s what stimulates bone and muscle growth, and it can help you raise your energy level for those late night study sessions. An easy way to get protein into your system is, of course, to eat meat. Lean meats like chicken and seafood contain less calories and fat than red meats like beef and pork, and, depending on the cut, generally cost less as well. However, the college student’s best friend is – and always will be – the ever-versatile egg. Eggs are quick to cook, cheap (usually between $2 to $3 per dozen) and can be prepared in countless ways. Vegetarian? No need to fret. These protein sources include some excellent vegetarian options:

• Eggs

• Quinoa (This is a great vegetarian option).

• Frozen shrimp (non-breaded)

• Frozen chicken tenderloins

• Black beans (another great vegetarian option)

Bread and Grains

When it comes to breads, grains and pastas, I always try to remember the old adage “everything in moderation.” I love bread and pasta, and I’d eat both every day if I could. But, both are pretty high in carbohydrates, which are great in moderation, but can easily be converted into unwanted body fat when consumed in large quantities. Just remember to always go for whole grain options and limit yourself. Here are some solid options:

Quick Eats

If your schedule is anything like most college students’, sometimes you simply don’t have time to cook a full meal. Maybe you only have an hour between your last class of the day and study group, or maybe you have a classy date with an intentionally uncomfortable library chair. Whatever reason for your time crunch, you usually won’t go wrong with these quickly-prepared snacks and meals:

• Protein bars

• Single-serving soups

• Trail mix

• Frozen dinners (Pay close attention to the nutrition facts on these. A good frozen meal will be high in protein and relatively low in fat content.)

• Cereal bars

Helpful Additions

• Peanut butter (Chunky, if possible. It has a higher protein content and fills you up faster than creamy will.)

• Salt and pepper

• Garlic cloves

• Olive oil

• Butter

Credits:

www.huffingtonpost.com

www.thelaundrymoms.com

www.freshman15.com

www.emandlo.com

www.scholarships.com

www.bbcgoodfood.com

Deidre Collins

Jonathan Phillips

Steven Holbrook