1) With roommates, sounds stupid, but make a roommate agreement form. That way, if one of them or you did something to piss the other off, you have the form to fall back on. Think of it as a "I won't piss you off" contract.
2) Shower shoes. 'Nuff said.
3) Regular cleaning. Unless you got cleaning staff to do it for you, try to regularly clean the place you're in, say every two weeks. Else, you're room may be declared a sewage zone.
4) 3-4 hrs of studying for every credit hour of school you got is STILL the rule to follow. Some can get away with less, while others need more. Regardless, if you want to do well academically, make sure you put in that studying time.
5) Cramming does NOT work. Trust me on that.
6) Have fun within reason. I know college is a time for all boys and girls to finally do what they want without their parents nagging you, but there are some things you still need to at least be aware of and try to prevent. I know freshmen students will start going out on Thursday-Saturday nights, especially to the fraternities and sororities. But some basic rules: Never drink and drive. If you do drink, make sure someone sober can drive you home, or you can walk home. Don't walk home alone, especially women. Be with a group of friends so you can all make sure you get home together. Else
THIS could happen.
7) Be sure to step out of your "safety zone" and try to initiate contact and make new friends. Everyone's going to be feeling uncomfortable the first week or two in a new place on their own. Reaching out to make new friends ensures that both of you will be able to get through it with a fun time.
8) Introduce yourself to the teachers, especially if you're looking for references. Just getting good grades in college doesn't mean the professor will know who you are. They got TAs to help grade their papers so you can just be a name to them. If you got a chance, or a question, be sure to talk to the professor after class. Be sure you get them to recognize who you are.
9) Read the class syllabus. NOTE the dates of exams, due dates for assignments, and grade criteria. You do not want to show up for class and find out that it's mid-terms that day.
If you got any other questions, feel free to ask.
P.S. I was both residence hall/dorm president and a Resident Assistant during my time in college, so I've seen a lot of what can happen in college life.
