Let me start off this post with an apology: Though I am not sure if anyone actually reads these posts, I am very sorry I haven't been blogging over the last couple months. Things got so crazy midway through the summer and I just lost track of time. But I am back at college and ready to get back to blogging in what little free time I have right now. I thought a fitting post would be some back to school tips, mainly for college students! Here we goooooo....
1) Time management - I am sure everyone has heard 100000 times that time management is important. Growing up, it really was not. I could put things off until the night before they were due and everything always turned out fine. In college that simply does not fly. Studying for an exam takes weeks of preparation, even if you are naturally intelligent and pick up on things quickly. Get a planner and each day make a list of what you need to get done. Make sure it's realistic though, and make sure you complete everything on it most days so you don't fall behind.
2) The freshman 15 is real - You've been warned lol. My freshman year I only gained 8lbs but it still was bad. My advice to you is to avoid the meal plans and make your own food. I live off of frozen entrees. The reason it is better is because you are able to control exactly what is going into your body.
3) Don't get too caught up in choosing a major - You're going to change it anyway. I've changed mine 3 times already and still don't really know what I want to do with my life. You'll learn what you like through taking different classes and participating in extra curricular activities.
4) Don't feel bad about doing things alone - So many people feel bad about themselves when they are at a restaurant, the student union, riding the bus, etc. alone. That's how you make new friends! Think about it, when you do things in a group and already have a friend there you are probably paying less attention to the strangers around you. Also, beyond freshman year most of your old high school friends will all have different schedules. Your paths will start diverging. It can be hard but it's just how life works. I only kept one friend from high school, and that's a rare thing. The only exception to this is going out at night. Always have a friend with you just in case!
5) Get to know your professors and TAs- This is important to success for many people. Your class could have anywhere from 25 people (like high school) to 900 people (I kid you not..). It can be hard to feel like you belong when you're just your student ID number to a professor. If you are able to form some kind of bond with them it can make you a more successful student. Also, if you plan to go to graduate school you'll need letters of recommendation from professors.
6) Don't worry if you don't connect with your roommates - If you were randomly assigned to live with people don't worry if you guys don't become BFFs or things are slightly awkward. Just make sure you guys agree on things like when to go to bed, how clean things should be, if it's okay to have boys over, etc.
7) It takes time to learn to live on your own - Laundry, cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, taking care of yourself when you're sick, it's probably a new thing when you're a freshman. Learning these things make us adults-in-training. It's hard and super overwhelming at first, but you'll catch on eventually. Just be patient with yourself and don't be afraid to ask for help.
8) You don't have to rush to make friends - for colleges that aren't part of the southern US you probably don't have a clue what I am talking about. But here in the south Greek life is a big deal. Colleges have 10 or so Pan-Hellenic sororities, and rush is a week long event where you visit all the different sororities and they decide if they want to offer you a bid to join. For some girls it is amazing and they find their "sisters", but for others it is utterly disappointing. And that's okay. Just know that if you don't get a bid there are so many other places to make friends. It's not the end of the world if you aren't "Greek."
9) Don't buy your books right away or ever at the campus bookstore - You want to wait until the first week of class to buy a book because your professor may tell you it's not necessary, or give you the link to the ebook for free. The bookstore is also a rip off always. Amazon prime lets you rent books for a semester (and gives you free 2-day shipping). Moreover, a lot of colleges have a group on social media where students sell and buy books off of each other.
10) Go to lots of events on campus - this is a good way to make friends but also learn about the community you are a part of. Go to any event that sounds even remotely interesting to you, you never know who you could meet.
Hope everyone is enjoying the new school year! All aboard the struggle bus!
No comments:
Post a Comment