I'll be the first to admit that I was a stereotypical freshman. On my first day of college, I walked into my Intro to Communication class and awkwardly shuffled into the last row. I sat down, pulled out the textbook I'd just bought from the campus bookstore and tried to figure out how to pull out the retractable table on my lecture chair. I was anxious and insecure and eventually just gave up on that retractable table because I was worried someone would notice and think I was dumb. But I wasn't dumb. I was new. I was new, and I had no idea what demanding, transformative, terrible and wonderful experiences I'd have in college. Now, though, I'm a graduating senior and I've learned some valuable lessons over the years. Here are a few that can make your college experience stress-free, successful and worthwhile.
4. Find your study soulmate.
You already know you'll meet tons of people in college, and many of them will be super friendly and intelligent too. But what's trickier to find is someone who's also driven. Early on in your college career, start looking for a peer who stands out above the rest, who always hands in assignments on time and who never backs away from an intellectual challenge. Even better if they're in your major, because this is the friend who you'll eventually pull all nighters in the library and apply to internships with. Any friend can hold your hair back in a nasty college bar. But not every friend will bring you another espresso and remind you to stay focused. Someone who encourages you to learn and grow like that is someone you'll want around long after you graduate.
3. Never go home to study.
Your fairy lights are strung, your candles are lit, and your bed is...well, there. Rather than going straight home after class, stay in a library or coffee shop on campus. The key to successful studying is slight discomfort. Get too comfortable in bed and next thing you know you're opening Netflix or taking a four hour nap. So don't go home until your most important assignments are finished or at least ask your roommate to study out in the living room with you.
2. Strategize.
Academic success is never arbitrary. Before you start your assignments, you need a plan of attack. Buy (and use) a planner, pack water and snacks and create a personalized study playlist. Go into the library with a battle plan and force yourself to stay until you've made some real progress. Don't be that student who wastes their whole night scrolling through Tumblr. You want to get your professors' attentions now. They have the connections and networking opportunities a motivated student like you wants, so don't miss out on that because of half-baked, procrastinated assignments. Go in with a battle plan and you'll always be victorious.
1. Create a contingency plan in case you take on too much.
Do you have a job you like, but it's unpaid? A club you hate, but it looks good on a resume? In college one of the hardest lessons you'll learn is how to balance all of your commitments effectively. Sometimes that means quitting one to ensure that you keep your most important ones. The decision can be difficult, but you need to know what you can let go of if your grades or work performance starts slipping. Create a list of most important commitments to least important commitments and if it comes down to it, drop the last one on your list. Academic success, financial stability and mental health are all much more important than a single bullet point on a resume.
Follow these tips, my fellow learners, and you'll be college-ing just like a senior. You are so fortunate to have access to higher education, so don't go four years without actually enjoying it. Oh, and figure out that damn lecture chair on your first day even, and especially, if you look dumb.
