What to do during your first two weeks
As your college experience is just beginning, we want you to make the most out of your time here. There are a lot of things to conquer during your first few weeks on campus. Here are a few things that will help you get the most out of your first two weeks!
Go to Week of Welcome. The most important thing on your to-do list should be to go to Week of Welcome! Going to Week of Welcome events will help you get acclimated with campus, start building social connections, and learn about resources to help you be successful. Of course there are plenty of fun events, such as Club Golden Eagle, Movie at Tucker Stadium, and the Hypnotist Show, to name a few. There's truly something for everyone! Checkout the Week of Welcome website for a full schedule and more information!
Explore campus! Once you familiarize yourself with a few buildings on campus, take some time to explore other parts of campus. Whether that’s walking through the Student Recreation & Fitness Center ,finding your favorite on-campus dining spot, or just sitting out on Centennial Plaza, you will find that campus offers so many different things for students to do.
Don’t forget about Cookeville! Knowing campus is extremely important since you will spend most of your time here, but exploring Cookeville provides so many additional opportunities that campus may not have. Grab a few of your new friends to try different restaurants, shop at the boutiques, or go for a hike at one of the many state parks nearby! Visit https://www.visitcookevilletn.com/ for information about all the local things for you to do!
Create a daily routine. Making a routing can help you stay focused and help you be more productive. Start by taking a look at your daily class schedule, and create a rough draft of what each day will look like. Decide what you will do in between classes (i.e. go to the fitness center, study in the library, grab lunch with friends). Of course, keep in mind that each day might be slightly different, and it may take some trial and error before you find the routine you really vibe with, so be prepared to change it up and adapt as needed.
Go to class and keep the syllabus! Whether the class is super exciting or not, you should make sure that you are always in class and on time because professors do notice when students don’t attend. It’s also important to keep each syllabus and actually read the information provided. This is where professors will explain the required materials, attendance policy, grading scale, and important dates. Go ahead and pencil those dates provided into your calendar to keep track of them.
Meet each professor. It’s always a good idea to take the time and introduce yourself to your instructors. They are the experts when it comes to their classes, so make that initial impression and be open to communicating with them. Instead of just introducing yourself at the end of class, try visiting them during office hours.
Learn how YOU learn. College is a completely different ballgame when it comes to studying and learning material. Take the first few weeks to determine how you learn course material the best and retain that information. Don’t be afraid to try different methods!
Figure out the little things. There are so many big and important things that you have to figure out during the first two weeks. Don’t forget the smaller things that do make a difference to your experience. Take some time to figure out how to print in the library or how to work the different equipment in the Fitness Center. Also, figure out how to best keep up with your Eagle Card! That card is your key to Tennessee Tech!
