“College is hard, but life is harder without your degree.” –unknown

This specific quote is probably the one thing that has kept me going all semester along with the support of all my friends and family. I’ve learned a lot during my first semester of college and I thought that I would share that with anyone who needs it. Here are 7 things I learned during my first semester at college

1.Your planner is your best friend

I have an 18-month planner and it has helped me remember a lot of the assignments I have to complete. You can get a planner from almost any major store but I suggest Marshall’s, Target, & Michael’s if you’re really organized.

2)It’s okay to say “No”

This one is important. I’m not a big party person but I do like to have a good time. Other times I just don’t feel like being bothered. I used to feel bad for not going out and just staying indoors or skipping a party to hang out with my boyfriend. Now I know that it’s okay and that I should stay true to myself.

3) Check your student e-mail every day…or you’ll regret it Checking my e-mail wasn’t something I was accustomed to doing every day until I started applying to colleges. After that, I thought it wasn’t necessary anymore. Boy, was I wrong. Your professors will e-mail you all the time about internships, extra credit opportunities, study sessions, and homework assignments. If you don’t check your student e-mail, you’re almost guaranteed to miss out on something.

4) Spend your “free time” wisely

Now in college there really is no such thing as free time, but for the sake of this article that’s what we’ll call it. How you spend your time outside of class is very important. Professors say you should spend about 30-40 hours a week studying for all your classes. Now mind you, that’s a full-time job. If you absolutely need a nap, take one and don’t forget that eating one meal a day is not healthy. Find time to take care of yourself physically, mentally, spiritually, and socially as well.

5) We pick the L’s we choose to take

You will take losses, or “L’s” in college. There is no getting around it. Don’t let it define you or your semester, but accept it. Now I’m not talking about forgetting a homework assignment or anything like that. I’m talking about deliberately taking an “L” because there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. You’ll sacrifice studying for one test to pass another test in a different class you aren’t doing that great in. You’ll suffer a loss when you decide to take a nap instead of going to the study session. The list is endless.

6. Your Professor is not your enemy

I can’t say that this is true for everyone, but it is for me. A lot of professors will try to help if more than a few students complain about a grade they got on a test, or the level of difficulty of the class material. It may seem intimidating but usually if you have questions, they will answer them and won’t try to eat you in the process. So don’t be afraid to ask

7. USE YOUR RESOURCES I cannot stress how many resources are available to you on campus. If you need a tutor or to reschedule taking a quiz, there’s something out there for you. If you need extra help, but don’t want a tutor, the internet and Khan Academy are wonderful things to use. Sparknotes, Grammarly, & Mathway are great websites and tools to use as well. Hope this helps you guys!

Love, Chantay