The article raises the problem of the formation of a culture of mental work of a freshman student. The
importance of mental skills is revealed to ensure the effectiveness of the student's educational and cognitive
activity, the formation of the future specialist’s ability to self-development and self-education. The
dependence of the complex process of socialization of the personality of a first-year student in a university
on the formation of its culture of mental work is highlighted. The period of study at the university in the life
of a young person largely determines the formation of the personality as a whole, and contributes to the
socialization of the student’s personality. The concept of socialization of personality is analyzed in detail.
The main difficulties of first-year students associated with poor intellectual work skills are highlighted. The
mental skills necessary for the student are listed not only during training at the university, but also in further
professional activities.