The first week of college is an adventure. Aside from classes, you must adjust to a completely new lifestyle, and sometimes in a new city or state. Dealing with the personal and academic transition takes a different amount of time for everyone. Therefore, the first week of college is all about letting it sink in, whether it may be your dorm, the new people in your life, or the quality of dorm food. Here are some overall dos and don’ts if you are experiencing your first week of college:

DO: Be prepared

This can apply to a variety of things, such as being prepared for classes, pinpointing campus events, and writing on calendars. Keeping your dorm room tidy is a good start, as you can easily stay organized with your academic and personal things. Buying textbooks, getting a campus map, and keeping notebooks/pencils handy are also important things to do that will keep you ahead. Be prepared to take in a lot, and not just coursework only.

DO: Learn about campus jobs and organizations

Most colleges do have a job or extracurricular club fair at the beginning of the school year. This is a great opportunity to see what is available in terms of on-campus work and clubs. Visiting a job fair allows you to be one on one with hiring managers or recruiters, thus allowing the chance to have your questions related to pay and hours answered. You can also decide for yourself after meeting with various recruiters whether it is in your best interest to work 25 hours a week, for example.

Club fairs are a great way to explore the true diversity of clubs on campus. Odds are there may be a lot, so check out the lineup in advance for any that interest you and then pay a visit. Clubs are likely less demanding timewise unless you are in an authority position. Therefore, it is a terrific way to be engaged with something interesting to you as well as meet new people. There are clubs for so many different interests and some may be shocking to hear, such as a yo-yo club. Sometimes, there is the option to create your own club if you meet a certain number of standards.

Both these options give you a chance to start your college journey off with a bang because you are showing the initiative to get involved early.

DON’T: Be late to class

College auditoriums are big, and you don’t want to be the person who comes in ten minutes late with the door making a loud noise as it shuts behind you. Same thing goes for a tiny classroom, as you would likely be interrupting the professor mid-conversation.

During the first week especially, it’s advised to get a feel for the campus. Take your schedule in your hand during some free time and personally walk to the buildings where your classes are. An added benefit would be walking into the building itself and directly pinpointing your classroom. It helps to know where you are going, as some campuses are large and traversing them can take some time. If you are pressed for time between classes (15 min or less), then it’s very important to know where you are going. You want to catch as much of the first week of classes as possible because fundamental information about the syllabus and expectations will be covered.

DON’T: Spend too much time in your room

It may be comforting to head to your room after class for a breather, but spending a lot of time in your room prevents you from experiencing the first week of college. One thing you can do is schedule an activity with your roommate and maybe a few others who live on your dorm floor. This way, you can bond and get to know each other because you will be living close-by for the entire school year after all. Activities can be anything, such as going out to eat, watching a movie, playing sports, or catching a campus event.

Another way you can adapt to college life is visiting the various places around campus, such as the gym, library, town, etc. Finally, find out if there are any campus welcome events for freshmen to attend.

Adjusting to college life is not easy, and takes some time for everyone. You are completely immersed in a new world, one where you are the lead navigator. Though it all may be overwhelming at first, you will find an effective routine on how to go about your college days after living through the first week. Once you get into the swing of things, college life will be second nature.