Now is the time that many of us will be returning to campus. However, there are those who will be embarking on this journey for the first time. How exciting! You must be thrilled.
But what you don't know is that your life is downhill from here, kid. Here are some things I wish I knew that could've made my transition a little easier.
1. Eat Well
That dreaded Freshman 15 is real, folks. It's astounding. I really wonder how this happens--is real world food that much worse than cafeteria food?
But then once I actually got to university I realized, yes, it is.
Now that you're on your own you can do all sorts of things. You can be like me and eat a whole box of Entenmann's donuts (the variety kind, not the one flavor kind, you savage). Of course this is typically accompanied by a strawberry shake.
Sophomore year of college we had this thing every Wednesday night. The improv group would go have dinner with our professor. Sometimes outside folks would join. Every time I’d order a pizza burger with beer. Not too long afterwards I viewed some photos of myself and realized I gained about 7-8 pounds. That’s no bueno.
Golden rule: Yes I know we’re on a budget. However! If you really have to go and eat exclusively ramen then do it right--drink a whole lot of water (like so much that your pee is basically clear, y’know), and use only half of the flavor packet. Throw an egg or somethin’ in there for variety.
This one is immense and probably the most important. At the end of the day, everything you’re going to end up doing will ultimately rely on money. Whether it’s for gas, a new pair of shoes, an umbrella, or even something unexpected like a class project or a hidden fee in one of your bills.
Best way to do this--what works for me, anyway--is having a Mint account. Input your bank info and such and it’ll allow you to make your own budget and help you keep track of your funds. My favorite part is having a widget on my homescreen so I can check my balance every morning, afternoon, and evening. That way, in case I want to make an impromptu purchase, my permission to do so is a swipe away.
Think of money like this: assign each dollar a job. Right now I have my insurance premium in my savings (a hefty $400). It’s not going anywhere till then. Completely off limits. Every dollar you save is for your future self.
3. Make Time
This one is for your classes. I know that sometimes it seems a lot easier to sit in your room and play video games all morning (I’m guilty of this), but you gotta ask yourself: is your homework done? If not, you better hop on that.
One of the things that I find helps is to do it little by little. If it’s a huge assignment, like an essay, I’ll write a few pages a day. But my biggest thing is this: the homework *has* to be done at least two days before its due. Not the night before. Yes, some say that helps them perform better. But the strain you’ll be under isn’t worth it.
If you find yourself sitting around being all leisurely and you have something due that week, then get on that. You don’t have to go for the five hour nights of sleep if you do this right.
Now, these are very little things and are supposed to be common sense. However, you’d be surprised how often people neglect these things. Later this week I’l be writing an extensive piece on saving and making money during the semester. That’ll really get things going.
