Being a student in college can be exhilarating, exciting, and even overwhelming at times. It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the campus environment that you forget some important things, so here are 10 things every student should know before they begin their collegiate journey.
1) It will be OK
First, it will be OK. There are so many people in the world who have been through what you're going through. Second, find friends or join clubs for support to make school less stressful. Third, relax and take care of yourself- don't put things off because of homework or classes. Fourth, remember to stay positive and work hard; you'll thank yourself later. Fifth, talk to teachers if something is frustrating you- they are there to help. Sixth, do something you enjoy outside of school - it will give your brain a break! Seventh, don't get discouraged by grades- good grades aren't everything (not unless they're like really really really bad). Eighth, take time for yourself and your family members too- because they love you unconditionally! Ninth, try not to spend all your time studying when you can be having fun with your friends. Tenth, believe in yourself because anything is possible! It's okay to feel upset at times- that just means you're human. Don't let setbacks discourage you- setbacks only serve as an opportunity to start over stronger than before. Remember that life isn't easy, but it is worth fighting for. Lastly, always keep your sense of humor! Life without laughter would be no fun at all! Plus, laughing does wonders for your health. So every now and then go out on a date with yourself, indulge in some ice cream (or two), and laugh until you cry. Laughing keeps you healthy from the inside out: your body releases natural endorphins which improve moods, reduce stress levels, relieve pain, boosts the immune system and encourages relaxation which benefits sleep quality. And since we know how important sleep is- those laughs might just save your sanity :)
You may also feel lonely or isolated. You may struggle with juggling schoolwork, social life and activities during busy weeks when everyone around you seems to be getting ahead while you feel behind. You may wonder why everyone else has their act together while it feels like you’re drowning. You may question whether college was a mistake because although everyone says it gets better- nothing changes... This is real and valid emotional pain; none of us chooses these feelings. None of us wants them. But sometimes, in the midst of our biggest struggles, we come up with our greatest ideas and grow into greater versions of ourselves. We learn about ourselves in ways we never could have predicted if left alone on our paths, unchallenged by adversity. We gain strength from within to face any challenge thrown our way and become unstoppable forces for good in this world. In the words of Theodore Roosevelt, Comparison is the thief of joy. Instead of comparing yourself to others, focus on being your best self.
2) Everyone is different
I am in my second year of university and there are a lot of things I wish I knew before I entered my first semester. You don't have to be on your own with these worries and problems. Below is a list of 10 things that are essential for students to know, plus the lessons I learned along the way.
#1. How do you budget? The first time I was handed my student card, no one explained how tuition worked or what living expenses were, so this was confusing to me at first and made budgeting difficult at times throughout the year. It wasn't until my roommate told me about her car insurance situation that I realized it could be possible to take some money out of each paycheck if needed. With our incomes combined, we had enough money each month for rent and utilities without cutting back on anything else. If you are not comfortable talking to your parents about money yet (or they don't have any), speak with your school's financial aid office as soon as possible!
#2. What should you pack?
Continuation (six+ sentences): When packing for college, many people will tell you it's all about the right clothes, but in reality-it's more important to remember what kind of lifestyle college can offer! My friends joke around saying I'm a college survivalist because I've managed to find ways to save money while staying organized and stress free, which includes a kit with over $150 worth of supplies packed inside: storage bags for groceries, binders, pens/pencils/highlighters, travel containers for snacks and toiletries; everything you need to stay prepared when traveling from class to work.
#3. Do you have tips for studying?
Continuation (six+ sentences): Now that finals week has passed I want everyone who reads this blog post to understand just how valuable good study habits are! Keep an eye on your deadlines so you can start preparing early by prioritizing assignments based on their due date. Beginners might need a day off here and there to avoid burnout, but after a few semesters of experience I found myself taking advantage of every day I had available. Plan ahead so you'll be able to get as much done as possible during those days! When in doubt, ask your professor or teaching assistant for help understanding tough material or reviewing notes; sometimes the smallest adjustments can make all the difference between passing and failing an exam.
3) You have a support network
Having a support network of friends and family is essential to the student life. They are the ones who will pick you up when you're down, cheer you on when you have achieved something, and provide an occasional kick in the butt when needed. However, it's also important that they know your needs as a student and tailor their assistance accordingly. >A good way to avoid burnout or drowning in tasks is having a variety of people to lean on for help. It's not just about building relationships, but also knowing how to use them correctly! If someone offers to do something for you, let them know if you need any help doing anything else while they're at it. If someone asks what kind of assistance they can offer you, be specific so that they don't do something you don't need (or want!)
If there's a problem with a friend/family member and it becomes more than what you can handle alone, don't be afraid to ask for additional support.
Everyone has different needs- make sure yours are being met! For instance, some students might feel pressure to take care of their siblings after school since parents might not be home. Others might be too exhausted from all the studying to cook dinner every night. Whatever your situation, get creative and figure out what helps work best for you as a student- this may include relying on others more often or going easier on yourself by taking short naps after class or reading before bed instead of studying for hours. As long as everyone feels like they are cared for and supported, then success will surely follow!
Another great way to keep sane is making time for fun activities outside of school. Whether it's dancing at a club once in awhile, going on vacation during breaks or even just watching Netflix with friends when you're done with assignments, find things that give you energy and motivate you to do better in whatever stage of life (or career) that you're in at that time. It's important that we practice self-care because without balance, everything else becomes harder to manage effectively. You have so much potential inside of you right now!
4) Compliments will help you feel better
Every once in a while, even with all of the things that we have to worry about as college students (homework, exams, jobs), it's always good to remember that there are people out there who are rooting for us. Even just one small compliment can make your day better! Whether you're feeling like a complete failure or on top of the world, remind yourself every once in a while what others think of you. Give someone else a compliment today and see how they react. It may not change your life but it will certainly brighten theirs!
1) You have value
2) You deserve it
3) Try everything at least once
4) Your story is important
5) Fight for what you believe in
6) Show up for those who need help
7) Ask questions when you don't understand something
8) Speak up against injustice and hate
9) Treat yourself well - give yourself permission to take care of yourself before anything else
10) Laugh often - this will be your best coping mechanism when life gets hard Every student should know these ten things! I hope you find them helpful. Stay tuned for more blog posts soon. In the meantime, here are some topics to explore:
How To Cope With Stress
Food Tips For Students
9 Ways To Deal With The Freshman
15 Why College Is A Great Time For Self-Care
5) Don’t compare yourself to others
It's easy to compare yourself to others when you're trying to find your place in the world. But, remember that being different is good! You may not have what someone else has and that's okay. Never allow other people's opinions define you. Define who you are by embracing your differences and quirks. ___ it's never too late to change ___. Don't forget about taking care of yourself: One of the most important things for students to do is take care of themselves. Make sure you drink enough water, eat healthy food, and sleep at least eight hours a night. Make time for friends: Spend time with friends outside of school because it will help relieve stress from school work and remind you why life is worth living! Laugh often: Laughter has many benefits such as reducing pain, lowering blood pressure, boosting immunity, releasing endorphins (the happy hormone), and much more! Keep a gratitude journal: A gratitude journal will help remind you how lucky we all are because there are so many things that we take for granted every day. You can also try expressing gratitude out loud or writing down three new things each day. Expressing gratitude will make you feel better and happier! Be grateful for what you already have rather than focusing on wanting more. Start going to church/mosque/synagogue/temple: We need religion in our lives if we want peace on earth because religion helps bring meaning into our lives. Some religions believe that this life is nothing but an earthly trial, and death brings us to eternal life. With faith in God, followers know they’ll be reunited with their loved ones after death. Take care of your physical body: Your body deserves the best treatment possible so make sure you get plenty of exercise, avoid junk food and processed foods, don't smoke cigarettes or do drugs, drink alcohol responsibly (or not at all), and keep up-to-date on immunizations like vaccines for flu or measles.
6) Get as much sleep as possible
Getting the right amount of sleep is important to your mental and physical health. Not only does lack of sleep decrease your reaction time, make you more irritable, and prevent you from being able to learn effectively, but it can also lead to serious medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and even heart disease. Sleep deprivation also contributes to car accidents; hospital admissions for emotional instability; and difficulties with weight loss due to the production of higher levels of cortisol (stress hormone).
Even if you are not going through an all-nighter try not to exceed eight hours per night. If your body has time for a rest in between studying then use it! Use this time to exercise or work on other projects that need attention. Exercise releases endorphins which will help you feel less stressed about exams and assignments.
The next few items on this list should be self explanatory, but they are so important that they cannot be left out: eat healthy, don't drink too much alcohol or caffeine, do yoga/meditation regularly (or at least every now and then), take breaks while studying every hour or two--go outside or talk to friends if possible. The last thing worth mentioning is to get enough sleep because it just feels good! Taking care of yourself by getting enough sleep and eating well goes a long way. Find some stress relief when needed. Yoga and meditation are fantastic ways to center oneself and bring peace into the chaos of college life. Spend some time each day connecting with nature, whether it's sitting outside or simply looking at the scenery out your window when doing homework.
7) Join something extracurricular
One of the best things you can do to increase your chances of getting into a prestigious college or job is to join something extracurricular. The reason? Participation in extracurricular activities will look great on your college application, and it can show that you have diverse interests and are involved in school community. Whether it's the Mathletes, the Debate Team, or Mu Alpha Theta, find something that interests you and go for it! You never know what opportunity might come from being more active at school.
While participation in sports has decreased over the years among high-schoolers, many colleges now value teamwork skills above actual physical fitness and believe athletes who also play on their schools' teams will make better team players when they're out of high school. Find a sport you enjoy and participate: It doesn't matter if it's soccer, tennis, lacrosse, or basketball - find something that you enjoy doing and start practicing today! If not all sports interest you, try joining the chess club instead - with many students feeling bored during class hours at home while away from peers, these clubs provide an opportunity to spend time with like-minded people while still engaging your brain in learning new skills. Regardless of what extracurriculars you choose, make sure you are fully committed to them and attend as many meetings as possible. Otherwise, don't bother - because the fact that you only attended one meeting shows others (and yourself) that this activity wasn't really worth your time in the first place.
Many students just throw themselves into a few classes without really thinking about which ones will be most beneficial for them later on down the line; don't fall victim to this trap! Always ask yourself how certain classes could help your resume down the line before signing up for them - because while taking more than 20 credits might seem like a good idea right now, nobody wants to end up regretting taking 8th grade math again once they graduate...
8) Take notes. Seriously.
-College is supposed to be the best time of your life, but that doesn't mean it's easy. You'll encounter people and things you didn't expect and it'll take everything you have to make it through - which is why we want to help by reminding you about 10 things every student should know:
-Meet up with friends. It sounds simple, but the friendships you make in college will be some of the most meaningful ones of your life. And really, what better way to make friends than through club activities, on a floor of a dormitory or at a tailgate? Get out there!
-Take advantage of internships and volunteer opportunities. In today's job market, the experience you get during college can be just as important as your major when looking for a job after graduation. The more work experience you have, the more competitive you'll be for internships and jobs after graduation.
-Go to class! We know this may sound silly because it's so obvious, but there are plenty of students who skip class all together or sleep through lectures they don't feel like attending just because they think they can do well without them or study enough on their own. Wrong! Attendance counts towards grades just as much as studying does.
-Get involved outside of school too! College isn't all about academics. There are clubs and sports teams, theater productions and social events happening year-round; plus, you never know where those connections might lead to professionally one day.
-Don't neglect your health! When you're balancing classes, extracurriculars and maintaining a social life while working part-time or full-time hours elsewhere, sometimes health falls to the wayside. Make sure you're getting enough sleep (7+ hours per night), taking care of yourself physically (eating right and exercising) and doing whatever makes you happy (whether that's reading or painting).
9) Eat well! (it helps with studying!)
Eating well will help you maintain your energy throughout the day, give you more mental clarity, and improve your memory. The food that we eat contains nutrients our bodies need to maintain its basic functions. Our brain requires a certain level of glucose to function properly, so it is important to replenish sugar levels with food or by drinking sugar-sweetened beverages like iced tea or lemonade. It's also important to stay hydrated and drink water throughout the day so that our brain doesn't dry out because when we are dehydrated we cannot think clearly and concentration goes down! Eating every few hours or eating breakfast in the morning will help us stay energized for studying all day long. A good rule of thumb is three square meals and two snacks per day. Here are some healthy snack ideas: apples, oranges, carrots sticks with hummus dip, raw vegetables (carrots, celery sticks), granola bars (stay away from high calorie bars such as cookies), yogurt parfaits (made from low fat yogurt topped with fruits), rice cakes topped with almond butter or peanut butter. Drink lots of water too! As mentioned before, our brains require a certain amount of fluid to work correctly; this includes being hydrated. One way we can tell if we're not getting enough fluids is if our mouth feels dry or if we start feeling dizzy. If either one of these happen, drink some water! Drinking at least eight glasses per day will ensure that our brain stays functioning well.
10) Surround yourself with supportive people
The people around you are critical to your success. Whether they're in the same major, your study group, or even just friends from your dorm, these people need to share in your successes and failures. You can't do it all on your own. However, if you surround yourself with people who only bring you down and make mistakes with you instead of for you, then I would highly recommend doing a deep self-assessment because that's not what every student should know. One of the most important things every student should know is how to identify toxic relationships. Some people will have good intentions but will ultimately end up being bad influences on you due to their behavior (i.e., low-self esteem) or through influencing other negative relationships around them.
It is often said that 'you cannot escape negativity by running away from it.' Sometimes students get so caught up in their social life that they forget about the more important things: namely academics and sleep! Some students get too busy with parties and late nights out, which leaves them less time for studying and subsequently leads to falling grades. Don't be afraid to say no when a friend invites you out; remember, going out and having fun doesn't always mean spending money at bars or clubs. If you want to party and enjoy some drinks, buy cheap alcohol beforehand and drink responsibly at home. If someone pressures you into drinking too much, don't give in—no one likes someone who can't handle their liquor. Always remember that there is something more important than partying - your education.
Thanks for the feedback mate!