Welcome to SDN and the dental forums, ryofire! My advice is aimed at both helping you with your goal and having you get the most out of your undergraduate experience. You are only young once and many of the opportunities that are before you now only come around once. I'll add my list to that started by swolf, so here it is:
5) You are obviously going to have to take the necessary pre-reqs, although your choice of major is left up to you. I would recommend that you choose something that you will enjoy and will be the better for having it. Some dental schools really like to see candidates with something other than a B.S. in biology. Have a talent for music? - go for it!
6) Do some studying abroad. You can take a lot of courses overseas and have a blast (yes, even science courses). See if your school has some international programs or is a part of a consortium. Not only will you learn a lot about yourself but you will gain valuable insight into other cultures and modes of thinking. My abroad experience has been brought up and emphasized in both of my interviews thus far.
7) If you have even a passing interest in art, take a couple of studio classes such as basic design or sculpture I. It's a good introduction to design, modeling, and manual dexterity, and it's something you can put down as an activity requiring manual dexterity.
8) Learn a foreign language, preferably Spanish. Why? You will be able to fill a tremendous need for bilingual dentists, schools will love you, and more importantly language is an amazing tool we humans use to communicate and relate to the world around us: the more languages you know (I believe) the more you are able to relate to and understand this thing called life.
9) If you are shy about public speaking, take some speech classes or join the debate team - whatever will encourage you to develop your communication skills and ability to address an audience, whether it be a single person or a room of 400 students. Having good verbal skills, and even elements such as tone and quality of voice, will go a long way towards establishing a good rapport with patients and making them comfortable with your decisions and their treatment plan. Plus, these elements are invaluable in day to day communication as well.
10) Don't get discouraged by a bad grade on an exam or a C in a class. Honestly, such things are very small in the grand scheme of things, although at the time they might seem earth-shattering. I have seen students let the first test get to them: they throw their hands up in the air and decide that they can't get a B, let alone an A, out of it so why try. Presto! You have a lovely, self-fulfilling prophecy! If a horse throws you off (i.e. organic chemistry, physics) get back on and take another honest go at it. Trust me, you will get through whatever course it is if you maintain good study habits, don't base you self-esteem on you grades, and be true to your goal and yourself.
I am writing all of this because I have been through it myself and learned a lot of lessons the hard way. I believe that all too often young students, and I know I was guilty of this, are myopic in their pursuit: "gotta get into dental/medical/graduate school!" They don't understand that time spent investing in themselves, exploring their interests, and growing their identity as a person instead of a title (Dr.) are every bit as important as 'getting the grade' or 'getting in.' Dental schools can't teach you how to be a responsible, caring adult with interests and talents outside of the office, and it is these characteristics that will carry you through life. Since you are in your first year now is a great time to get all of this in. You certainly won't have time for it in dental school and things will be a bit more complicated once you get out, get into a practice, and start paying your bills. "But I want to hurry up and become a dentist!" Relax, all things will come in good time. For now, my advice is to enjoy where you are right now in your life and get as much as you can out of it. Trust me, if you do, then you'll be the better for it.
