By Marion Dodd, Contributing Writer

For most first-year college students, a collegiate learning environment is almost appallingly different than high school. There's more academic pressure. Your assignments are more demanding, plus you're adapting to a new social environment and possibly new living arrangements. With all of these challenges staring you down your freshman year, we thought you could use some suggestions for making the transition to your new academic life a little easier.

First day jitters
Go to campus a few days before your classes start. Look at your schedule and plan out your day according to the buildings. Don't worry, just take things one at a time and you will be just fine.

Succeed in classes
Actually going to class is a plus. This might sound like common sense, but you will be surprised at how tempting it is to skip. A lot of teachers give three free absences, and some don't even take attendance, but just because your teachers don't keep track of your attendance doesn't mean it won't affect your grade.

"College is an investment; you want to put in as much as possible," Andrew Sison, Dean of Admission at Lewis University, said. "You won't be able to enhance your grade if you're not there."

Note taking
If you have a laptop, take it to class. A lot of schools offer free wireless Internet on campus. You can probably type faster than you can write. Otherwise, take notes by hand. Don't try to write everything down - you won't absorb as much information. Try to stick to key points. Check to see if your teacher posts notes online.

Keep a planner
Keeping track of various projects and assignments can be difficult if you aren't organized. If you have a planner, you can easily prioritize your assignments and plan your time accordingly.

"Time management is one of the most important things when entering college," Sison said. "You need to be able to give yourself a time-line."

Stick to small classes Having classes in big lecture halls makes it tempting to skip or just not pay attention. You have more opportunities to ask your professor for help in small classroom settings.

Talk to your professors Visit with your professors during their office hours. This will help you build relationships with your professors and make it easier to ask questions.

"It's important that students are open to talking to their professors," Sison said. "They're more than professors, sometimes they're your advisors."

Helpful tips:

• Find your classes before they start
• Go to class, even if there is no required attendance
• Use a planner
• Try to enroll in small classes
• Take advantage of your resources
• Shop around for textbooks