Admissions

Study and don't procrastinate like I do. I know procrastination is ingrained into everybody and sometimes it's hard to overcome it, but there were plenty of times when I fell behind in my work and felt overloaded because I blew off my homework or my studying until the last minute.

Don't slack off freshman year, but don't go all out either. Burning out freshman year is very unfortunate and many people do this right before their hardest classes. Keep a slow and steady pace, and get out of your book every now and then. Join some clubs (There are plenty that need help) or work on pledging Greek life (some of the co-ed fraternities even allow you to pledge freshman year...go for it!). Keep your head up and don't let the humbling effect of no longer being the smartest kid in school get you down.

My advice for prospective students is to make the trip and make sure you get to spend time exploring the campus. While here imagine what it'd be like to live in the dorms and be interacting with the people that you meet while visiting. And make sure you check out the classroom, lecture halls, dining halls, and club zones and see if anything catches your eye. Don't be afraid to ask questions because you might be surprised at all the options on ways to be involved at Clarkson.

Make sure you do your research on the Potsdam weather (it's cold!!).

Whether you are looking at Clarkson or other schools, do an overnight stay before you decide. Stay with a current student in your perspective major and go to a day of classes with them and spend the night so you can explore the campus events as well. It will help you decide whether you fit in and are comfortable with the campus, plus it will allow you to meet upperclassmen which will be great to already know people when you move in as a freshman.

Be ready for a huge change.
Sit at the front of the class.
Do not try to do your homework in your dorm room.
Do not be afraid to ask questions.

Get general education requirements out of the way - ask your counselor what they are for your major.

Definately don't looks down on it because it's small... but visit you really have to like the campus.... some people might not like the fact that it's in the middle of nowhere...

Do not procrastinate or let yourself go through multiple lectures without understanding the material. It can be very overwhelming at the end of the semester so get on top of things right from the start.