The present work aims to relate the academic self-efficacy belief and the use of self-regulated learning strategies with the perception of academic performance of freshman university students and to verify whether these students present variation in their academic self-efficacy beliefs and in their use of self-regulated learning strategies throughout the first semester. 70 university students entering a higher education institution participated in the research. They answered the form at two different times, at the beginning and at the end of the first semester of graduation. It is a quantitative research in which, through an electronic form, the following instruments were applied: 1) characterization form; 2) Learning Strategies Scale for University Students (EEA-U); 3) Higher Education Self-Efficacy Scale (AEFS). The results indicate that there are positive correlations between the belief in academic self-efficacy and the perception of academic performance of freshman university students, and also between the use of self-regulated learning strategies and the perception of academic performance. That is, students who most used self-regulated learning strategies were those who reported having a higher perception of academic performance. Just as students who reported having more confidence in their ability to perform their academic tasks are those who have a greater perception of their academic performance.The results also found indications that there was no increase in the belief in academic self-efficacy and in the use of learning strategies, except for strategies related to interaction with peers, throughout the first semester of graduation. The results were discussed in the light of the Social Cognitive Theory. Considering the challenges encountered by university students entering higher education and the importance of believing in academic self-efficacy and the use of self-regulated learning strategies to overcome these challenges, institutionalized actions are proposed in order to promote these constructs. Finally, new studies are suggested to expand the knowledge of these constructs in university freshmen students.