There are endless nuggets of advice you get told about college before you go. Some of it depends on the school; some of it you get told a million times. Don’t forget to call your mom. Use Chegg to rent textbooks. Ask your professors for extra help. Below are twelve things you probably haven’t been told, that will guide you through surviving college.
1. College is more difficult than high school in a different way.
This is very important to understand. If you were busy in high school, just you wait for college. High school is a walk in the park; college is a freaking circus. High school was all about the amount of hours you spend in school, while college is all about the amount of hours you spend doing everything else, aka time management. In college, you’re in class for about four hours every day. And that’s at the most! How you spend the other 20 is totally up to you and your own independence. You have to learn how to balance sleep, work, assignments, friends, family, and events, EIGHT TIMES in a row. (Each semester changes!) Use a planner for class assignments and on-campus events. Get on a regular sleep schedule. Pick a certain time period to eat lunch and dinner. Schedule your work weeks for less than 12 hours. Text friends to let them know you’re thinking about them if you don’t have time to hang out. There are so many things you can be doing in college, but finding the right balance is the ultimate challenge.
2.You don’t have to eat EVERY meal with friends.
No one tells you that it is OKAY to eat in your room while doing homework. You don’t have to go to the cafeteria every time someone asks either. If you don’t feel like it or have too many assignments, say no. It will be okay. Your friends will still be your friends and the cafeteria food isn’t that good anyway. Throw some Ramen in a mug, fill it with water to the top of the Ramen, then microwave it for two minutes. BOOM you’ve got dinner.
3. Morning classes are your worst enemy.
For the love of all things good and holy please do not schedule any classes before nine a.m. if you aren’t a morning person. You will literally hurt your grade if your brain isn’t fully functioning and you don’t retain information early in the morning. You’ll thank me later.
4. Go to class even when you don’t want to.
This will help you in the long run when you’re actually sick or have to skip class later. My university in particular is really strict on attendance but the professors create their own attendance policies. Some allow a few skip days without it actually effecting your grade. I saved my skip days for when I was too sick to get out of bed and family events.
5. Don’t be afraid to ask for a due date extension.
I know several fellow classmates that did this out of desperation with an ounce of hope that the professor would grant them a few extra hours. Most of the time the professor would give one extra day for an assignment. (Not the next class period, but the next day. You follow?) Trust me, it doesn’t hurt to ask.
6. Ask your professors what books you’ll be using before the semester starts.
This is a good idea if and only if you are for sure not going to drop the class. If you are certain that you will stay in the class, you need to allow plenty of time to get the required books. Some college students say to wait until class starts to make sure that you get the right book, but that can get you behind on assignments, which is not good for your grade. Go ahead and take the initiative to email the professor before the semester even begins. (Ask for the exact ISBN because they usually have their own copy.) This shows them that you’re willing to do well in their class, and helps you get the correct book before everyone else.
7. Learn how to speed read and note the main points.
Read books during the summer, breaks, and weekends to keep your reading speed up. Make sure you can pick up the main points from what your reading, because those are what you’ll mostly likely be quizzed on. Write down three important points from each page if you have over 20 pages of reading. You’ll have multiple reading assignments every night, so be prepared to work smart, not hard.
8. There are at least three weeks a semester where everyone is drowning in assignments.
The week before midterms, Thanksgiving, and Christmas break everyone is fully scheduled and sleep-deprived. All the professors conspire to have all the big papers, projects, and tests due during these same weeks, or so it seems. Everybody and their brother’s zebra is hyped on coffee, energy drinks, and all-nighters. Don’t make anyone mad during this time period, and try to stay ahead on assignments so you don’t join the crowd. Again, use a planner!
9. Everyone gets sick at the EXACT same time.
Going along with my last point, there are also periods of time where illness gets passed around, such as flu, lice, bed bugs, and fevers. My college has even quarantined students to keep them from spreading. If you can avoid these plagues, you’re virtually immune to everything. (You win at life basically.) Stock cough medicine and Ibuprofen in your room, and take Alpha CF and Echinacea if you feel like you’re getting sick.
10. Bring your laundry home and use a rolling suitcase.
You really don’t need to spend $5 a week on laundry if you’re close enough to bring it home. And a rolling laundry bag or a suitcase to put your dirty clothes in can really make it all easier to transport to the nearest laundry room.
11. Don’t start any paper the night before it's due if it's longer than three pages.
I know that this may seem like it’s common sense, but really you most likely will have to pull an all-nighter if you don’t start your papers in advance. At least do some research and come up with an outline the weekend before, and then start writing. Save the day before for rereading your final draft.
12. Biking, scootering, or skating to class is always the better option.
Walking is never the most efficient way to get to class, and if you’re late this will save your life. Bring your bike to college or buy a razor scooter for 20 bucks.
