Just like many of you, I have finally finished unpacking my belongings into my new dorm for this year. It was easier this year because I’m a sophomore now; I have been through this routine before. I was able to pack less, more efficiently, and not having move-in be so hectic. However, it feels like I have a million things to conquer this year and my classes haven’t even started. These aren’t in any particular order but I hope to reassure anyone else who is freaking out that you are not alone.
1. Time Management
This year I am taking nineteen credit hours for my double major. Nine of those credits are three hundred level and seven credits are two hundred level. On top of this, I am on two executive boards for organizations and involved in another two. I also have two part-time jobs on campus. With a semi-heavy class load and a ton of other activities, having good time management is going to be so important. I have a planner that I keep in my book bag with everything written down in it. This way I can keep on top of my schedule. It has all of my meetings, homework, class schedule and even a list of things I need to get done A.S.A.P/things that can be done later.
2. Motivation
Last year was tough because I was involved in way too many things and took way too heavy of a course load. I had stopped going to the gym, I had a poor eating schedule, and I was always cramming my homework in wherever I could. This lead to the very real “freshmen fifteen.” I most definitely gained weight during my freshman year and this year I need to stay motivated. I’m hoping by having better time management I will have more motivation to go to the gym, eat healthier, study more, and get enough sleep. It will take some serious determination, though.
3. Resume
With all of the networking I do in college it is super important to keep an updated resume. The only problem is the last time I did a resume was my senior year in high school. I don’t entirely know what to put on there either. I did so much freshmen year, yet I feel like I accomplished nothing. The nice thing is that Bradley has people who are there to help us build a killer resume. Most college campuses do and if yours does not, talk to your academic adviser. They would probably be more that willing to help!
4. Internships
Most freshmen have a vague idea of the career they would like to go after. However, many colleges require their students to have an internship in their field of study. This not only looks great on a resume but it helps the chances of you getting hired somewhere. At Bradley, we have an internship fair where we are able to go meet potential places we would like to intern at. This is extremely helpful for people who don’t have specific places in mind or who have no idea where they would look. For me, I have very specific places I want to look at. This doesn’t mean the place will take me on as an intern, so I have to keep my options open.
5. Apartment Hunting
There are many places close to campus that are for rent to just Bradley students. However, it is extremely important that I have a washer and dryer in my apartment and that I am able to take my cat with me. This limits a lot of my options, especially the apartments on campus. These are really nice except I can’t have pets and they do not have one bedrooms. The leases for those go up in February, which I know is six months away, but time flies and I would like to have things figured out before then just in case. I still want something close to campus, but with the expectations I have I may have to look at places a little further away from campus.
6. Having Fun
With all of my class work and other activities, I want to make sure I still have fun and do not completely burn myself out. As much as college is meant for education and getting your degree, it is also for making friends, memories, and having a good time. I didn’t go to many on campus events last year. I would like to try to go to more and support my friends and school.
