Joining the gym for the first time. Could use a little help?

Hi everyone, bit of info about me; I'm 19 years old, 5 foot 2.5 inch tall and a healthy weight.

So I'm starting University next week and I am going to join the gym there. I have never been to a gym before so I'm a bit unsure on what gym equipment to go on. I do home exercises at the moment; I run for 20 minutes 3 X a week, I do 1 hour of strength exercises and weights 2-3X a week and I also take a brisk walk everyday for 1.5 hours. By doing this it keeps my whole body toned and I am happy and comfortable with this routine. But obviously when I go to Uni I won't be able to carry on with this so that's why I think the gym is going to be my best option. What would you guys recommend I do at the gym to keep my whole body toned? as I have no clue :S. I am going to go to the gym 5 days a week for 1-1.5 hours a day. 

there are also many classes on at the gym to name a few; palates, yoga, legs bums and tums, circuit training, zumba, flex and stretch, abs blast, pump and tone, swimming classes  

My current calorie intake is 1700-1800 calories a day :)

Thanks! :) x

I would suggest going to the classes. Thats what I did in Uni and it was soooo much fun! Do that for a start.

There should also be a weight room orientation 4 or 8 week class you can take to learn everything, and you can possibly even get a trainer. But I would start with the classes so you get an idea of things you like and you will learn lots of muscle building moves using weighted bars, dumbbells, resistance bands, etc. Its a ton of fun!

I also agree on taking the classes. I had no idea what I was doing when I first joined the gym and taking the group classes gave me enough confidence to start working out on my own once I had figured out my goals.

Plus they are so much fun, especially if you bring a friend along

I've taken advantage of the gym at my university in the past as well, and it's definitely a benefit that not enough students think they can use.

The first thing to keep in mind is to choose something that appeals to you.  If that's weight-lifting on your own, great!  If that's a class, then go for it!  If you don't enjoy it, you won't stick with it.  So pick something that sounds fun.

If your university is like mine (and it's probably better...), then you have a full-service gym at your disposal.  While the racks of weights and banks of machines might SEEM intimidating, they should either be staffed with people who can answer questions or will offer introduction sessions to get you familiar with what they offer.

Take advantage of those!

Stretching, you can do anywhere.  Weights: use the gym if you can.  Don't get intimidated by the athletes who might be there; contrary to popular belief, if they're athletes, they don't care about anyone else.  They're there to get their own workouts in and have no time to worry about showing off or bullying anyone else into feeling bad about themselves.

Take the first week to get familiar with the schedule for the gym, what equipment is available, and also, who seems to be there when you're there and what they tend to do.

This is important because you're likely to see the same people at the same times, so learning their routines will help you stick with yours.  For example, if you see the same guy on the squat rack and deadlifts about 10 minutes after you arrive, you know you can work on other exercises until he leaves then jump on the squat rack after him.

Or if you see the same girl on a particular range of dumbbells that you want to use, you'll know when she's done or conversely, get your workout in before she arrives.

When I first started, I found the circuit training classes the best as they watch what you are doing in the group and if you tell them you are new to machines, they will watch you more carefully. 

I have had a lot of success combining cardio and strength training and can get a full body workout in about an hour 3x a week.  I used to separate cardio and strength and that took 5-6 days a week and 2 hours a day.  I like the bootcamp style workouts and Circuit training with real aerobics.  In that sense the classes the gym offers looks like a good start.  Also get a bike and use it whenever you can to get around!