Going to college is a fun and exciting time in life. It is a time to learn and grow, not only in an academic sense but also in learning about yourself. It is a time to make mistakes, make friends, have fun, and set your life for a career path you will love.
With all that is going on, here are five things that every new college-goer should know.
1. It is possible to have good grades and have fun.
Fun is everywhere; you just have to find it. Colleges and college towns usually have a plethora of clubs, teams, associations, dances, and other organizations that are just for students. There are also many businesses that cater to the abundance of college kids in the area, with activities or coupons for their services and products.
Make your own fun. Have an indoor picnic, build a couch cushion fort, play glow-in-the-dark hide-and-seek, or go caroling in March. If there isn’t an existing group for what you’d like to do, create it yourself! Have a movie night with your friends, or just curl up and read a good book that is not school-related. There is fun to be had everywhere.
2. Don’t be a slacker.
Cheating is bad. Is it easy? Yes. Will you get caught? Probably not. Is it worth it? Definitely not. Would you like to go into surgery with a doctor who cheated on his anatomy test? Or have your house burn down because your electrician didn’t know the safety codes for wire placement? Don’t be shunted into the freeloader category in life: do your own work.
Don’t slack on your cleaning duties either. Whether living at home, attending online classes, or living with roommates, you are old enough to be able to wash your own dishes and pick up after yourself. You will make—and keep—many more friends if you stay clean. One way to make this easier is to either leave most of your possessions at your parents’ home, or get a small storage unit wherever you are. The less you have, the less there is to clutter your space, and the less you have to clean!
3. Learn to manage money.
College is expensive, and if you’re not careful your money can easily get away from you. Create a budget, plan expenses, and use credit cards wisely. There are plenty of ideas online or in books for first-time budgeters. Remember, the most important thing about creating a budget is sticking to it! I know you really want that sweet amp kit or Gucci shoes, but stick to your budget and save up for those things.
Always get warranties or insurance on whatever possible—you always think you’re not the type of person to drop your phone in water, but accidents happen. A few extra dollars initially is worth not paying to completely replace items.
4. Plan, but be flexible.
Know where you are going, but be okay with life’s curveballs. Have a direction you would like your life to go—it doesn’t have to be extremely specific, but have a path to follow. Create your academic plan, and schedule out when you need to take what class. It would be a bummer to get to your last semester and realize you can’t graduate because you forgot to take Humanities 101! Finally, plan your days. Decide what time will be set aside for classes, your job, and for each classes’ homework. Having a set schedule and times for focusing on each class will keep you on track and from procrastinating.
That being said, do not be so strict in your plans that you cannot deal with change. Life is full of surprises, twists, and turns. You may get married and you may not. You may suddenly have a wonderful job opportunity in another state. You might realize that you need to switch a class to next semester, or take a prerequisite you did not know about before. Or maybe you forgot it was your friend’s birthday and need to move your homework schedule to work around the birthday party.
Keep the end goal in mind, but be prepared to take a few detours to get there, and don’t stress about it too much.
5. Learn to get along with people.
It is almost a guarantee that you will not like every single person who crosses your path. Unless of course your name is Pollyanna. You might hate your roommate, wish your professor actually knew what they were talking about, or think your boss is an idiot. But learning how to get along with people who make you want to scream in frustration is an essential skill for navigating life successfully.
College is crazy, hard, fun, and stressful, but with these five aspects in mind you can make the most of every moment.
Featured images:
License: Creative Commons
License: Creative Commons
License: Creative Commons image source
Author Byline
<a href=“https://plus.google.com/u/0/102093071691848890924/posts?rel=author”>Lucy Markham</a> is an avid blogger and do-it-yourselfer. She can do anything from home improvement to fixing her car stereo, which she learned about from Execution Audio.