So, you have finally made it to college: now what? Is it time to have fun and party, fitting a few hours of study time in? Maybe you will meet your future spouse on campus or launch the next great start-up company? No matter what your collegiate career has in store, the following article has some good advice to see you through.
When you enter college, try to reduce the amount of starches that you eat during your freshman year. Typically, you will put on a lot of weight in the initial stages of college, as this will help you to counter that. Try to incorporate a lot of fruits and vegetables into your diet.
Organization of your time, your schedule and your responsibilities is essential to making your time in college count. You should know exactly where you have to be, when you are supposed to be there and how you will get there. If you are not organized, you will soon be confused and late with assignments.
Your environment can make all the difference in the world when it comes to studying successfully. A dorm is the worst place you can study. A better bet is to locate a quiet place where you can study in solitude. Generally, libraries can provide this. Another good choice is to purchase headphones that cancel out the noise.
Don’t forget to exercise in college. Consider joining a gym. You can get your workout in, and you can also meet up with many people in your school who are active. Ask your acquaintances to go workout with you to help you develop relationships.
Get the names and number from a few people in each class so that if you have to be absent then they can fill you in on what was covered in class and can share their notes with you and give you any work that was assigned so that you won’t get behind in your work.
Make certain that you have your FAFSA submitted very early in the year. This is the financial aid that is automatically given by the government. The earlier you apply, the more certain you are to receive your benefits. Sometimes, the finances can run out, especially at smaller educational institutions. Be prepared!
If possible try to live for your first year in campus housing. By taking advantage of room and board you can give yourself more of a chance to focus on getting accustomed to the campus and community. Then in following years you will have a better idea of where you might prefer to live on your own.
Develop
When you first apply for college, learn about the professors. It is important to develop a good relationship with the instructors if you want to do well. Talk to them all, and get to know their expectations. It will help you throughout your entire college or university experience to have them on your side.
Develop good study habits while in high school. College professors normally expect that students in their classes know the proper way to study for exams, write term papers and how to research information. By learning this while in high school you can ensure success in college. If you do not have good study habits, ask for help.
Develop a system with your roommate for studying. Decide on certain quiet times each day for your dorm room so that it can be used for studying completely. If you or your roommate know these times, you can make the conscious choice to stick around or leave the room.
You have to make a reasonable sleep schedule for yourself. It is easy to become exhausted with so much going on in college. If you do not get enough sleep, you will not be able to concentrate on your classes.
Going to college should be about getting an education but keep in mind that college is also a place where you will have an opportunity to make some new friends and develop your personality. Find some sociable activities. Meet new people and try new things if you want to really benefit from college.
Develop solid studying habits. Leave the partying and socializing at the door for a few hours (at least) every day. Gather all of your materials, notes, and books, and walk through where you are in each of your classes. Write out areas that you feel weak, and approach your professors with these questions during their open office hours.
If you can, don’t get a credit card while you’re in college. Such credit cards often have very high fees and equally high interest rates which can get you in trouble before you know it. It is best to leave college free of credit card debt, especially if you have student loans to pay off.
College is a crazy and wonderful time, full of learning, meeting new people and discovering so much more about yourself. Take full advantage of this time and keep the end-goal in mind at all times. Once you’ve got that college diploma, the sky is the limit to what you can do!
