Time is short. Three months ago, I was packing up all my belongings in my tiny dorm, getting ready to say goodbye to the place that had been my room for the past eight months. Now, there's only six weeks left of summer before I have to repeat the same process again. Prior to starting my freshman year in college, I had all these big hopes and expectations of what my first year would be like, just like anyone starting college would have. I won't bore you with the details of my not-so pleasant freshman year, but I will tell you how to prepare yourself for the new upcoming school year. I will be the first to admit that my freshmen year did not go as planned and there were some choices that I regret. However, I'm using this as a learning experience to prepare myself for the upcoming school year, to face it head-on and make it one of the best years I've had in college.
We all have bad experiences from time to time, but I don't think it should be an excuse to give up and not try to make life better for yourself. You have to try and hope that things will get better and believe that this time will be different around. I have compiled some key tips to help you conquer the new school year and face it with confidence.
1. Get out of your comfort zone!
Whether you are starting high school or first year in college or last year in college, this applies to everyone who is going back to school! I never realized how important this principle was until after I completed my freshmen year. This is so important because staying in your comfort zone will not allow you to grow as an individual or have new experiences. The purpose of going to college is not only to get an education, but its also to experience a world that's much different than the one you grew up in. If you stay in your little bubble, you have no room to invite anyone else in nor do you have room to let yourself grow. I know it seems scary putting yourself out there, exposed and vulnerable, but once you reach out and take the first step, everything becomes easier. You don't have to jump into a new thing all at once; you can take baby steps until you feel comfortable. You have to allow new experiences in your life to enjoy high school, college or wherever you are in your education to be able to prepare yourself for the real world.
2. Get involved in activities or clubs that pique your interest.
One of the few aspects that I love about school is that there is something for everyone. You just have to find what interests you. In my opinion, it is good to have something that you are dedicated to other than your schoolwork. Maybe you've been interested in learning American Sign Language (ASL) and want to become involved in the deaf community. You could sign up to take ASL classes (if your school offers them) and find ways to volunteer. For another person, they could be interested in robotics or computer science or art or dance, or whatever inspires you. There are so many clubs and activities that would be willing to have you and further expand your interest. Getting involved will also help you form friendships with people you have things in common with, which is another great aspect of school.
3. Surround yourself with friends who bring out the best in you.
Personally, I stress this as one of the most important ones because having good, grounded friends who only want the best for you makes your school experience worthwhile. We all need people we can trust, people we can depend on, people who we can cry to and people we can have fun with. What's the point of going to college if you can't make new friends to share your experiences with? Granted, it can be difficult making new friends at first, especially if you are going to a college different from your from friends back home, but once you find people that you click with and who appreciate you as a person, you will be able to make lifelong friendships with those closet to you. The best way to make friends is to just be yourself and don't compromise who you are to fit into someone else's standards. Your true friends will love you for the way they are and want nothing but the best for you and vice versa.
4. Don't procrastinate on school assignments!
This is something I had to learn the hard way during my first year in college; you think that you have all the time in the world to finish your assignments, so you continue to binge-watch "Grey's Anatomy" on Netflix and blow off your assignments until the last minute! College professors aren't as lenient as high school teachers. If you miss the deadline simply because you did not start on time, don't expect your professor to give you an extension! Late is late, which means you'll have to take a zero ( Shocking, right?) You're in college now; you have to start being responsible for yourself, which means doing your work on time. Get a planner and write down all the due dates for your assignments. Set reminders in your phone and start your work early! You'll thank me later when you're sleeping instead of pulling an all-nighter to finish your chemistry lab report.
5. Be confident in yourself!
Lastly, my most important tip regarding the school year is to be confident in yourself! Each new school year brings its own challenges different from the last. I'll admit that this can be scary because you are adding another year to your education, which means more work, more difficult classes and more expectations! This is totally normally because this is a sign that you are growing up. Enter the new school year as a confident person. Be confident in the fact that you worked hard to get to where you are right now and that you are just as smart as the other people in the room. Be confident in the fact that anything is possible with some hard work. Be confident in the fact that this school year will be better than the last one and that you will be open to new challenges. Be confident in the fact that you are being the best version of yourself , and no one can take that away from. You have to trust and believe in yourself that you can be better and stronger, and that you can handle whatever comes your way. Confidence is the key to success and will help you achieve your goals along the way.
I hope that this helps someone who is feeling nervous about the upcoming school year and that they know that they have nothing to fear. You are the not only who experiences this and chances are that many of your friends and classmates maybe having the same feelings as you do towards the academic school year. I can't promise you that this school year will go exactly the way you want it, but I can promise that these tips will help make the transition a little bit smoother. Best of luck!
