6 Ways to Make the Most of the First Week

You can begin to develop habits and rhythms for academic success by being intentional with the first days of the semester. Here are six ways to know you're nailing your first week at King's.

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You can begin to develop habits and rhythms for academic success by being intentional with the first days of the semester. Here are six ways to know you’re nailing your first week at King’s.

You’ve moved into your new apartment, attended orientation,  and you will soon participated in the Great Race and sign the Honor Code. The start of the semester is right around the corner, and so is the main reason you came to King’s: classes.

Whether you’re intimidated or excited, completely new or experienced in the college classroom, here are six ways you can know you’re making the most of your first week at King’s.

1. Be Dressed to Impress

As you know, the business casual dress code is an important part of daily life at King’s. The philosophy behind it is that giving thought to our physical appearance helps us be mentally prepared for the day ahead. It shows professors and classmates that you’re ready to participate. So use the first week of classes to begin making this new habit a part of your daily rhythm.

2. Be On Time

Even though the King’s campus is smaller than most college campuses, be sure to know where your classrooms are to avoid the panic of not knowing where to go on the first day. In addition to being a requirement, being punctual is also a nice way to show your professors and classmates that you value their time and are ready to engage.

3. Be Prepared for Note-taking

At some colleges, the first week of classes is reserved for reviewing syllabi and asking questions. “Syllabus week.” Not at King’s. Here our professors are skilled at fitting a lot of content into each course, so most professors  will begin lecturing on the first day. Come with a notebook and pen, and be ready to take notes.

4. Be Proactive with Professors

It’s true. Our professors are really impressive people. But they are here at King’s because they care about you and your learning. Introduce yourself at the end of class, or set up office hours. Your professors will be one of your greatest resources in your time at King’s, so start getting to know them now.

5. Be Ready to Read

If you haven’t already, be sure to order your textbooks after your first day of class. If you need more information, be sure to check out our earlier post, How to Order Textbooks at King’s.

6. Be Informed

After each of your first classes, take a moment to read your syllabus thoroughly, check the textbook list, and make note of important dates. Put deadlines in your Google Calendar, and plan out your school work schedule there as well, as suggested in our recent post about Time Management Methods: Plan to Change Your Plans.

While there is always more to be done, know that taking these six steps in the first week of class are a very good start, and they will be likely set you up for a solid start to your semester.

If you’d like to talk to someone on campus about how to take on your first week of class, contact Chris Josselyn (cjosselyn@tkc.edu) or Dr. Jennifer Tharp (jtharp@tkc.edu) on the Student Success team.


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