Live on campus. Freshmen living off campus drop out at a rate nearly twice that of on-campus freshmen. Make a real effort to get along with your roommate, and try to stay with that person during your entire freshmen year. But if you have irresolvable differences request a room change, because prolonged incompatibility will increase your chances of dropping out. Finally, be concerned if you run into academic difficulty.
Students having trouble with their courses are more likely to drop out than others.
If you have a job, don't overdo it. Going to college full time and working more than 20 hours a week is an open invitation to earning lower grades. A good relationship with your parents, or other adults, such as faculty members, helps. Students who have very close relationships with parents earn significantly higher grades than those who are incompatible with their parents. Don't assume that just because you're away from home your parents don't matter anymore.