You made it! You worked hard for four years of high school (or maybe you didn’t) and you made it into college. For one, this is something to be extremely proud of because many people never get the opportunity to attend school past high school. Whether you got into a community college or one of the most prestigious schools, it’s what you make of it and the relationships you create that count.
Yes, you’re becoming an adult now and you’re in college so studying is very important. But so is the rest of your life. A good student knows how to study and how to get results from their studies. A great student knows how to do that and also balance school with the rest of their lives. School is not our only priority, and I don’t think we’d like to be. Make sure you separate school from your life sometimes. Just because you’re a student doesn’t mean the only thing you should do is study. This is the last time that you’ll get to really enjoy your years before going into a career and becoming the dreaded adult with responsibilities. Granted, you may love your career and it may not seem like work, but regardless, make the most of your college experience because although you may experience college again, you’ll never be the same age.
If you really want to enjoy your years at college, there really aren’t any excuses for not doing so. There are exceptions to this, like students who started school late and may already have a family or other responsibilities. But if you desire something enough, there’s nothing that can stop you.
Here are some tips to make the best out of your college experience.
1. Try to overcome your shyness.
A big part of college is making connections with people and learning how to network. The people you meet may be with you for the rest of your life, and they can become your family away from home. No man is an island; we all need someone to talk to, and it always helps to have a second opinion when you need one.
2. Develop your interests.
This is the time! The time to find out what you like or what you may want to do for the rest of your life. Whatever you’re interested in is a great place to start. Find people who share the same interests and create a club or organization if there isn’t already one. This is a great way to make friends, network with your schoolmates and build your resume.
3. Take an active interest in your education.
Education doesn’t only consist of what we learn in the classroom. It is also what we learn from our peers and what we learn from experiences. Know what’s happening in your school including why there are tuition hikes, what the name of the president of your school is, is student government doing anything and if not how can you change that and how diverse is your school and why isn’t it more diverse? You’d be surprised how much you learn just by taking the time to find out this information. Don’t just look it up on Google; talk to people and practice your people skills.
4. Internships/Externships.
This is probably the last time you’ll get anything for free as an adult. Anything with the label free attached to it should be considered. Internships, externships and summer programs in your chosen field are the best way to gain experience before actually working. This is also a wonderful way to find out if what you choose to do is actually what you want to do. Doing an internship at a law firm, a fashion institute or a medical school gives you insight into the field and gives you concrete experience to go by when you decide your career.
5. Have fun!
You most definitely need to study in college whether your major is library studies or biochemical engineering. Be sure to study hard and in a timely manner and also make time for yourself, your friends and family and for fun. Reward yourself. You did great on an exam, maybe see a movie on the weekend with friends or do something else that makes you happy. Education is important, but your health, happiness and state of mind are even more so.
There are many more tips to offer, but my biggest advice to you is to do whatever makes you happy (within limits of course) and make it so that you have little-to-no regrets when you leave.
