Growing up, everyone has been told their own stories about college and how to make it through. One main thing everyone has (more than likely) been told is that college is the best route of success and that it takes a lot of hard work and dedication. However, very few people are given worthy advice on how to fully and successfully adjust to the college life. Although everyone adjusts to the college life in their own unique way, there are five ways that I think everyone should go through in their adjustment from dependent home life to personalized freedom at your fingertips.
1.Dress to impress.
First impressions are all about appearances. It is important to realize that the first thing a person sees is your face and the way that you present yourself. At the beginning of the year, remember to dress for the future and not the present. Although you are a freshman now, you will not be a freshman forever. Dressing formal is not a must, but being approachable and presentable is. Help your professors, office personnel and campus buddies remember who you are.
2.Try to befriend as many people as possible.
College is all about opportunities and in some majors, it’s not what you know, but who you know. The people that you meet in college will be the ones that will make the biggest impact on your life. They will probably be the best man in your wedding, your child’s godparents or could even give you a kidney if need be. Most importantly, they can be good motivators and recommenders for jobs in the field of your choice.
3.Find frugal ways to eat.
There has been plenty of days when ramen has been a gourmet meal for me and it will be one for you, as well. However, ramen noodles aren't the only cheap food sold. There is also Chef Boyardee, Banquet Frozen Dinners and even Rice-A-Roni cups. There is also your food plan, but don’t always look to the cafeteria to have the tastiest foods because their mindset is for you to have the healthiest food on the planet, even if it does taste like day-old cheese.
4.Welcome your newfound caffeine addiction with open arms.
Coffee will become your new best friend. It will be there for you early in the morning, in the middle of the day and late at night. You will start to not be able to fully function without coffee and it will become the worst type of addiction that you will ever endure in life, because this is one of the hardest parts of your life. Coffee will seem like a release for the first five to ten minutes, but it all depends on how long it takes the caffeine to kick in before you start jumping like a kangaroo off the walls.
5. Learn the stages of all-nighters.
All-nighters are classified in my college handbook as “No-Fun Hangovers.” Don’t let anyone fool you; all-nighters occur on more than just finals week (especially if you’re a STEM major.) Although all-nighters are sometimes hard to identify, there are some stages to help you see when you are, indeed, experiencing an all-nighter. Stage 1 is panicking and feeling overwhelmed. Stage 2 involves energy drinks or the famous college beverage, coffee. Stage 3 is all about your social media break (this is the treat-yourself stage). Stage 4 involves more panicking and Stage 5, finally, is finishing the assignment!
These five steps are not going to ensure that your college experience will be a successful move because there are a lot of other tips that can be taken into consideration. I hope that your college experience has or will be a complete success; no matter how the adjustment may come, don’t give up and continue to press on during all of the hard times, because although it comes as an undefeatable challenge, believe that you are more than a conqueror!
