Will my roommate and I get along? Will I be able to handle a college course workload?

Will I gain 20 pounds because I can’t help but put tasty treats on top of my Hillcrest ice cream every day?

With the first three weeks of another new school year come and gone, all of the typical freshman questions should be well answered by now.

However, for the freshmen on the Iowa women’s golf team, senior Alison Cavanaugh and sophomore Chelsea Harris provided some tips for teammates who may still be struggling to survive freshman year.

In school, Cavanaugh said, staying organized, getting ahead, and doing work on the long bus rides can make the transition much easier.

Her advice on doing work on the bus comes from experience. Last year, she said, the team mostly messed around and played endless rounds of Catch Phrase while on the road.

Homework can be done, though. She said there were plenty of times she finished papers and studied for tests while traveling, and it’s important to utilize free time because, usually, there is very little.

“I probably get an hour a day for homework,” Cavanaugh said. “Practice is all morning, then classes at night. So you really have to be efficient with your time. You can’t be messing around on Facebook.”

On the golf course, a positive attitude does wonders. Cavanaugh said golf is really just a silly game, and on any given day, bad bounces and missed shots will happen.

“We compete for like 12 hours,” she said. “So if you get down on yourself, that’s a long day. But if you stay positive and brush it off, you’ll have more fun and play better.”

Acknowledging that sometimes things are just out of a golfer’s control is the first step to staying calm, she said, and when a situation gets out of hand, remembering what got you to collegiate golf is useful.

“Your game is going to hit the fan at one point or another. It just does,” Cavanaugh said. “You have to think back to what you did well in high school and get back to the basics a little bit.”

Harris agreed that at some point, anyone’s game will blow up. Her favorite saying when times get tough: “Don’t complain, not even to yourself.” It’s best to acknowledge something that’s bothering you, she said, and immediately forget about it.

Another piece of advice Harris offered is to use every opportunity available.

She learned that the hard way, by not taking advantage of tutors and study groups during the first semester last year. After using the tutors and study groups in her second semester, she noted the huge difference.

In case of struggles on the course, Harris said, she is never afraid to call head coach Kelly Crawford or assistant coach John Owens and ask for help.

“We have everything we need,” Harris said. “There’s no reason for us not to be successful and take advantage of what we’re given.”

Cavanaugh also said it’s important for teammates to help each other out. Freshmen don’t have to figure everything all out by themselves, she said; they should lean on each other, and they’ll be OK.

“Golf should be the best part of the day. It should be your break from studies and worries,” Cavanaugh said. “It should be what you look forward to rather than a hack show.”