College is different for everyone. No one has exactly the same experience as the next person. It’s a time of discovery, a time of wonder and a time of absolute incomparable frustration. So here are a few tips I’ve gathered from my experiences to help guide newbie college attendees, as well as anyone else who wants to take a gander at my advice, just in time to start thinking about the fall semester.
1. Be Social.
I know I’ve written an entire article already based on this tip, but it is absolutely essential. Making friends is key to enjoying college. How else would you be motivated to study unless you and fellow classmates rent a room in the library to suffer together? Who else are you going to get Starbucks with when one of you has a mental breakdown (this may or may not have happened to me, but let’s just say I’m glad I had friends). A good social life is your ticket to a successful college lifestyle. There simply is no beating around the bush with this one.
2. Get Involved.
This ties in with the whole friend idea, but expands on it a little bit. Join a club, go to athletic events, attend lecture series, it really doesn’t matter, but you must (I repeat, must) get involved in campus life in some way. There are so many great events happening almost every night (even though some of them may not be as crazy as the Howl). It doesn’t benefit anyone to sit inside your apartment for hours on end watching all seven seasons of "Gilmore Girls." Even if it’s going up to the Quad to play Pokemon Go, participate on campus!
3. Find Your Happy Place.
If you’re anything like me, you simply can’t bear the idea of sitting around, trying to study when your roommate and his girlfriend are watching the last season of "Game of Thrones" at full volume. It’s times like these where it pays to find a place to go for solace. Mine was always Luke’s Café on the Quad. You could almost always find me with a mocha and an asiago bagel, pouring over my Political Science notes. It’s really the only way that I could focus wholeheartedly. Everybody needs a place like this, so go explore campus and find your own.
4. Don't Be Afraid To Have A Blast.
This is college. Yes, it’s a time to be studious and strive to be successful, but that doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to have fun. I can’t tell you how many times my roommates and I would walk to McDonald’s at 2 a.m. just for the pure enjoyment of it, or how we pull all-nighters, watching movie after movie, going through 12 bags of popcorn, and then going to class the next morning, or holding Mario Kart tournaments with our neighbors for nostalgic fun. We weren’t afraid to goof off, and neither should you. Let go every once in a while and have a bit of fun!
College is truly the most ambiguous time. I’m constantly changing majors, switching classes and then changing majors again. But I’ve found solidity through these four points. It’s because of these things that I’ve managed for as long as I have. I’m sure everyone has different tips as well, so try whatever works for you in order to succeed!
