It’s your 3rd year of college wow how time has flown by. You’re no longer looked at as a tiny freshman but not yet the alpha dog of campus either. There’s so much you have experienced but you feel as if there’s so much more you can experience, but with what time? Real life seems to be coming up on you a lot faster than you thought it would. I know it all does not seem real, it doesn’t seem like a year from now I will be working on my senior thesis. What do you even write for those anyway? So much to think about. Where you’re going to live after school? Who will still be by your side when you leave? What will you do? Gradschool? Internship? Whoa. Seems as if we’re repeating junior year of high school over again doesn’t it? Questions like this also arise then. Where will I go to school? Will I move away from my family? Will my applications impress colleges? Even if you are not aware of what life has in store for you after college here are some helpful hints to get through your second to last year of college.

DO NOT FREAK OUT

Yes, you may want to, you may feel the need to, you may feel like you need to scream from all the stress, but don’t. At the end of the day everything will work out how it is supposed to. Sometimes all you need is a nap. So do it, yes grades and a social life are still important,but so are you. Take some time for yourself.

Speak to your advisor or internship mentor

They have a lot more connections and are always willing to talk even if it might not feel that way. And think about… the sooner you get an internship the sooner your resume gets built. This will help you throughout the remainder of your college career and future life plans if you start searching for an internship now. Even if you want to just want to have your senior year, if you have an internship under your belt at least you have accomplished one thing early.

Study, study, study

Like I said before this is kinda like junior year of high school all over again, so yes your grades still need to be in tip top shape. Junior year can be the savior or the downfall of your gpa. A lot of people don’t understand that even if their gpa is bad now it can get better and look way better in the future if they focus now. Yeah, studying sucks but get a study group together so that you don’t feel like you are in this entirely alone. It can still be fun while studying if you are with friends.

Don’t be afraid to take risks

This can be related back to the internship section. Do not be afraid to reach out to people, to make new connections, to go for a job you have never seen yourself in or that you may not think you’d be any good at. You might surprise yourself.

All in all keep a positive attitude during this time, it can be stressful ir can be chaotic but it will only be as bad as you make it seem. So grab a friend, grab your textbook, grab some coffee and get to work. This is your time to make a difference in what you will become. Dream bigger. Do better. Think outrageously. You can and will survive your Junior year of college.