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When Steve Conroy entered Boston College this fall, the Mansfield native felt prepared both academically and socially. But there was one thing he was not ready for.

In high school Conroy would come home and relax after a busy day.

"But in college you're with your friends all the time - people are right across the hall," he said. "So after you do all your work, you watch a movie until 4 a.m. and then have to get up for class at 9 a.m. So it's much more exhausting."

But Conroy has found an old-fashioned remedy for the problem of undergraduate fatigue: "I just sleep a lot more on the weekends. I used to get up early on Saturday and Sunday, but now I just sleep until 2 in the afternoon if I can," he said.

As millions of college freshmen like Conroy kick back on break after enjoying the holidays at home, many are reflecting on their first semester. Conroy's problem is by far the most common for first-years, according to Linda Carlson, the Associate Dean of Studies at Wheaton College in Norton.

"Isn't it what we always see? Time management," she said in her office at Wheaton's Academic Advising Center. "Students think it's going to be one thing and then it turns out to be another, and before you know it, sometimes they're in trouble."

Each fall Carlson oversees the Advising Team - made up of a faculty adviser, two upperclassmen academic mentors called preceptors, and an administrative mentor - that guides freshmen through their first year.

"Nationwide, early contact, reaching out, can help students get over the initial shock of being alone, away from home, living with strangers," she said.

One of those new Wheaton students is Sarah Amin of North Attleboro, who said her "first semester went quite smoothly. I truly immersed myself in my studies, worked two jobs, and got involved in various clubs on campus, which made the adjustment relatively easy."

Catherine Himberg, a freshman at Stonehill College in Easton, said, "It takes a lot of work. More than I was used to." But the Norwalk, Conn. native said she was pleased with her progress.

All three students said their high school educations had prepared them for college.

"One of the things that my high school did for me is give me a really good foundation in writing," said Conroy, who graduated from Bishop Feehan. This was especially important because most of his classes at BC are writing-intensive, he explained.

Wheaton's Carlson said she has "a very good feeling about this class. They seem to be very committed to exploring the opportunities in a way that I haven't seen in a while. They seem very interested in studying different things, they're enthusiastic about internships, they want to study abroad."

Amin agreed. "What surprised me most about my first semester is the wide array of interests, passions, and talents that my freshman class has," she said. "Here at Wheaton, everyone comes from a background full of unique perspectives and experiences." "My class at BC is very outgoing," Conroy said. "I was just overwhelmed by how outgoing everyone is. It's very hard to be the dominating one."

As for students' reputation for wild social lives, he said, "Everyone works really hard, and everyone parties really hard. As long as they're going to party hard, at least they work hard, too. It's a good philosophy."

This year's crop of students will change in the years to come, Carlson said.

"One of the greatest things that happens in this environment is meeting freshmen and watching them develop over four years," Carlson said. "Students don't appreciate how much they develop."

Conroy, for his part, had two pieces of advice for next year's class.

"Take it slow at first; don't jump into a million things," he said. "Just try to get a feel for things - and sleep a lot, find time to sleep."

"And if they're going to BC, get football tickets," he added.