The article presents the psycho-physiological and personality characteristics of the first year students of pedagogical university. A total of 1,000 persons 18-20-years-old - male and female students of different faculties of the university were studied. A survey showed that the level of social and psychological adaptation of students to the university was above average, and the main psycho-physiological characteristics were within the age-sex norms. The tendency to addictive behavior in the examined groups were not expressed. The personal potential of the majority surveyed students was characterized as below average. It was found sex differences of investigated parameters: the young men had higher motivation to success, good image memory, high shifting attention and viability compared with girls at the same age group. The girls had a high personal anxiety, hostility, and a high resistance to stress.