How to be a successful college freshman

How to Succeed in College, by Marcia K. Johnson, Sally P. Springer, and Sarah Hall Sternglanz. Los Altos, Calif.: William Kaufmann Inc. 215 pp. $6.95.

''You can have more control over what happens to you at college than you may think,'' assert Marcia Johnson, Sally Springer, and Sarah Sternglanz, authors of ''How to Succeed in College.'' This is just the kind of reassurance I would have appreciated two years ago when I left the security of home, family, and friends to attend Wellesley College.

Here are several suggestions given by this book that I think would benefit any freshman: 1. Read all the material given to you so that you can make intelligent choices about your courses and professors. Learn early where things are and how to use them. Take advantage of the opportunities offered; after all , that's what college is all about.

2. Don't try to beat the system; instead, try to get the most out of it. Don't merely ''get by''; rather, learn the material and skills the first time so you won't have to go back or be lost later. The book stresses the importance of learning how to learn and gives concrete, step-by-step advice on reading, studying, and taking notes.

3. Learn how to manage your time. At college there is little time to do the amazing number of things that are offered. It's easy to let extracurricular and social activities crowd out academics. Instead, set and reach your goals through detailed scheduling.

''How to Succeed in College'' covers many other areas of life that college students must learn to cope with: roommates, friends, romance, loneliness, and finances.It describes the differences one can expect in living on or off campus, at home or away.