I never imagined I’d learn so many life skills from just one year of college, but I guess that’s part of how we grow so much during our college years: life lessons are packed into everyday life. Here are a few tips I want to pass onto the next group of college students, whoever you might be and become. Good luck and have fun!
1. Disregard everything about high school, it doesn’t matter anymore
College is not only a new playing field, but an entirely new game. No one really cares who you were in high school. This is a chance to reinvent yourself and become the best version of yourself. Use it wisely.
2. Choose your friends wisely
Pick people that genuinely care for you and your success. You want people who are going to support you through the chaos that is college life. On top of that, nobody likes fake friends.
3. Choose your classes and professors wisely, too
Make sure to plan out your class schedule before registration day! This is the fiercest day for any college student, everyone's trying to get all their required classes and there are only so many spots for each one. Use your college’s undergraduate class catalog along with whatever online registration tool your school uses. Also, try to group all of your classes together each day when planning your schedule, that way you can get them all knocked out and move onto your next tasks. Don’t do that 8 a.m. class, just don’t.
4. Treat your syllabi like golden tickets, because they are.
Your syllabi tell you all your semester's assignments for your classes. If used correctly, you have the ability to plan out your time for each of your projects and exams. It also tells you the amount of points or percentage each assignment is worth which enables you to calculate your grades when you need to. Keep these golden tickets handy and use them, they can make or break you in college!
5. Go to office hours and talk to your professors
Your professors are your mentors and a resource for you. They want nothing more than for you to use their expertise and learn from them, so go to their office hours when you need help on their subject. Having a working relationship with your professors is also good when you need recommendations later on.
6. STUDY!!!
Figure out what methods work for you, take breaks, eat snacks and drink water, listen to music, do what makes you the most productive. Don’t procrastinate - it will come back to bite you. Take advantage of ALL extra credit offered in any of your classes. You never know what the semester might bring, so prepare for the worst.
7. Need academic help?
If you need help with any subject, ASK FOR IT! I can't express this enough. Freshman year I didn’t do this, and I failed a class and didn’t do as well as I wanted in others because I let my pride and ego get in the way. You're here to learn. If you knew and understood all the material already you wouldn’t need to be here.
8. Take advantage of your campus
If you have an awesome campus like myself, you have a good spread of amenities that your college offers such as a Tutoring Center, Writing Center, Student Fitness Center, Health Center and Running/Biking Trails. If you have amenities like these, chances are you're already paying for them in your student fees so you might as well take advantage of them.
9. Find your motivation
What motivates you? Why do you want to be successful? Remind yourself of these reasons or sources of motivation each day to keep your motivation in check.
10. Go to class!
Don’t waste the money you or your parents are spending because you can’t get up early enough or are just lazy, just don’t do it. There really is no excuse, you’re paying to be there so GO TO CLASS!
11. Network
Do you best to network and meet people in the field you’re going into. Start with your professors and classmates in your degree-focused classes and go from there. Also, events for majors similar to yours are a good way to get involved.
12. Socialize and get involved in student organizations and events
Pick out a few things to get involved in, but not everything. Don’t over or under commit, and don’t be afraid to try new things! Go to all the kick off events at the beginning of the year, especially if they're free!
13. Have fun and do what makes you happy
College is a time to explore and discover new things about yourself and try new experiences. While you're there to learn, you’re also there to grow into a new person. Find what makes you happy and make sure to have fun while you’re growing.
14. Find balance within all the chaos
College is a maelstrom of craziness. Use a planner or some other way to keep your life organized and keep track of all your commitments. I use Google Calendar to do this and it’s great. If you prefer paper over tech most colleges usually hand out free planners at the beginning of the school year so keep your eyes peeled.
15. Call and visit your family
While you're relishing your newfound independence and trying your hand at adulting, you’re also going to get the normal bouts of homesickness. Know that this is completely normal, and it’s good to keep in touch with family and friends back home.
16. Take care of your mind as well as your body
Practice self-care and mindfulness to keep your mental state healthy, along with exercising regularly and eating healthy and well-balanced meals. Also keep up on your doctors and dentist’s appointments when possible. Health is priority.
17. Be prepared for the possibility of your friend groups changing each semester
Because we’re constantly changing our class schedules, we see new people each semester and therefore make and lose friendships during these times. This isn’t true for all friendships, but many of the day to day friends will change as our semester schedules do.
18. Finals week preparation
Start preparing for finals week a couple of weeks in advance to form study habits. Mentally there's no preparation because they suck either way. Make sure to get enough food and sleep during this strenuous time, it’ll go a long way in helping you get the grades you want.
19. Going out vs. staying in
Be safe at parties. Go with real friends and don’t drink anything already open. Trust your gut. Know how you’re getting home, have a DD (designated driver) and have a backup plan, etc. Staying in for the night can be just as fun with the help of your friends and Netflix.
20. Treat yo self!
Make sure you take some time for yourself every week. Go get a manicure, watch something new on Netflix, take a bubble bath or do something else that makes you happy. Another good treat is takeout. Find all the good takeout places in your college town and have their menus on hand. Be aware of your budget on this one but also you gotta treat yo self sometimes, right?
21. Take advantage of the mistakes you make
Chances are you’re going to make a few mistakes during college. That is totally normal. I’d be more worried about you if you didn’t make any mistakes. We can’t do anything to change the mistakes we’ve made, all we can do is own up to them and do our best to both fix and learn from them.
