5: “First year doesn’t count”; it’s up to you to make it count.
Even if there is zero impact on your final grade, it means the pressure is off and you can breathe and you can use this opportunity to develop good study habits now that you can use when it does matter.
6: Learn how to learn
Are you the lucky person for whom simply (re)reading things will suffice? Are you someone who benefits from writing things down, in which case writing up a ‘neat copy’ of lecture notes or summaries of them and readings might be useful? Also think about how you approach readings to get the benefit of them. It’s easy to let reading become merely a tick box exercise that you do to say its done. Before you start reading look at the title and headings of the piece, or the article abstract, and think about what you want to find out or learn. Write some questions yourself based on the headings and then read through the piece. Return to your questions and see if you could now answer them.
7: Develop good habits outside of studying
This ends my series of 'tips for student success', but I think the most important advice is simply - enjoy it. It's hard work being there, but making your time enjoyable alongside the hard work makes both the academic and social sides of university worthwhile.