College, college, college! The idea of college is enough to freak even the brightest/toughest/most “prepared” student out. One thing all future/current college students want to know: how can I be successful in college? The answer to that question can be different for everyone, but there are a few basic tips anyone can follow to help them out through the grand journey of higher education!
#1: Choose a college where you feel at home. This is highly important. Search until you get a good “vibe” from a school. You want to go somewhere that’s a size you feel comfortable with, in a geographical location you like, and of course has a decent program in your major. If you can, sit in on a class or spend a night in the dormitory before choosing to attend a certain college. Talk to a couple professors and other students.
#2: Once you’re at college, GET INVOLVED! Yes, you’ll be busy. However, studies have shown that students who are involved in at least one club or organization have higher overall GPAs than students who are not involved in anything. Getting involved in organizations will help you meet other students and staff. Most colleges have a wide selection of groups you can join.
#3: Participate in floor activities. If you live in a dormitory, your RA (Resident Assistant) will have a number of activities planned from time-to-time for your floor. Participating in these activities is a fantastic way to meet other students and build a strong floor community!
#4: Get to know your professors. Sure, they may be a bit scary at times, but they were students once, too! Find out when your professors’ office hours are, and stop in sometime to say hello, or to ask any questions you have about a class. Professors love it when students take initiative to visit them outside of class.
#5: Find “your” study spot. Experiment with different study locations and environments until you find what works best for you. Try various tables in the library, or study rooms. Consider noise level, visual distractions, lighting, temperature, and so forth. Once you find the study environment that works best for you, stick with it. Finding this most effective location is great because then you can be focused and study hard, leaving plenty of play time for later.
#6: Exercise, eat right, and get enough sleep. You hear horror stories about the “freshman 15” and how some students try to get by on just a few hours of sleep a night. This doesn’t have to be you!!! Most colleges have decent gyms/workout rooms for students to use and no or little cost. Take advantage of this and become a regular. Be sure to munch on some of the fresh food choices, and try getting to bed before midnight. With some good time management, this should rarely be a problem.
#7: Ask for help when you need it. Colleges have loads of resources to cover almost any concern. Visit the learning center for free or low-cost tutoring. See the campus nurse for free/low cost health care. Visit with the campus counselor for personal problems or stress. Ask the librarian for research tips. Go to the Residence Life Department with any roommate/housing concerns. The list goes on-and-on. So many people work at colleges and universities, and they’re all there to help you. You’re pretty much paying their wages, so you may as well take advantage of all the services you can!!
There are many other tips towards having a successful college career. Feel free to ask me for other tips, or ask any other questions! By the way, I attended a 4-year college and was a resident assistant for two years, as well as working with a variety of campus organizations. College can be an amazing time! Remember, academics are really only half of what you can learn from college life. Get involved and you won’t regret it!
What did you major in?
I majored in elementary/middle education with minors in language-arts and psychology.
Even when you get into college, and all of the work for getting in is done, it just gets more stressful. It never gets any easier until graduation day from college.