Being a college student can be very challenging. Opposite to what many people may think being a student is, it goes beyond passing a final exam or socializing in school. To the young people out there that are graduating high school this year, and are indeed getting ready to embark in the so famous and thrilling journey called college, you may find this article interesting. I will cover the four main things you should expect and do while being a college student.

1. Reading

Yes! Reading, unfortunately, is not one of the fun things about being college student. Although many of you are very good at procrastinating, this is not very recommendable if you’re in college. While teachers in high school may let you get by while literally bullsh*tting around, this is not the case in college. College professors are very particular; I can’t help but wonder if they have a life outside of teaching. As ironic as this may sound, most professors in college seem to be married to their profession, which means that they can make your life miserable if they feel like you’re not taking their class seriously. So make sure to be prepared at all times, and keep track of all the material that is required in the course. Trust me, you don’t want be caught off guard.

2. Studying

To many students, studying is not part of their daily routine. I can honestly say that I am not very fond of that word either. The truth is that studying is very crucial and fundamental when trying to get a good grade in a particular class. As a student, I totally recommend taking studying seriously, and actually taking some time out of your week to go over the things that may challenge you. Trust me, you don’t want to find yourself going crazy at the end of the semester; it can get very overwhelming to try to sync in semester-long material.

3. Procrastination

Trust me, we have all been there. I have lost track of the many times I have procrastinated. You can find it very easy to procrastinate, especially when you have other assignments to do, but this is just a little tip to make your life easier. A professor, for the most part, gives you a syllabus in the beginning of each course. This syllabus contains the lessons that he/she are going to cover for the semester, as well as the assignments that are required in the course. Try to start your assignment beforehand; that will give you some time to revise your work, and it will also give the professor some time to go over your work and give you some feedback. Believe me, that will indeed give you some points in the eye of the professor, as he or she will consider you a hardworking student.

4. Relax and breathe

While being a college student can be stressful, you should always take some valuable time to relax and have fun. Remember, in order to have a successful academic experience, you should have balance in your life. While it is true that as a student, one must be committed in one's upcoming courses, we should always take some time out of our hectic schedule to have fun. Contrary to what many people believe, college can be fun; you just have to learn how to manage your life accordingly. Remember, just relax and breathe. While there are going to be moments where exasperation, frustration, and fear may take over, remember that everything passes and eventually everything falls into place.

College is what you make out of it!