Congratulations! You’re starting college! Community college or university (public or private), it’s still a big step and you should be proud of yourself.
College does present challenges though, and I could write an entire book of advice to give you, but here’s three major tips I think will help you in your daily college life.
- Always bring a water bottle.
Never assume you can rely on drinking fountains or there being water bottles sold somewhere on your campus. There are times when the drinking fountains are out of order or the shops are actually sold out of water.
Hydration is so key in everyday life, and especially when running between classes. If you’re like me, you’ll get dizzy and get headaches when you’re dehydrated, and that is not something anyone attending classes wants to deal with.
Try to get a stainless-steel bottle if you can, but that’s not possible, reusing a plastic one several times works fine too.
- Make a list and prioritize.
I have found making a list of my assignments that I have to get done on a day by day basis so helpful. I usually group the assignments by class, but it’s important to remember what assignments are the most urgent.
Put the assignment that needs to be done the soonest at the top, and list by due date. When you make the list the next day, bump the next thing down up to number one. Check off each one you get done. Trust me, you’ll feel so much satisfaction seeing that check mark.
Do this every day.
- Switch things up.
If you have multiple assignments due on the same day, and get burned out on one, take a break, and then work on something else due that day, instead of finishing it completely before moving on. I know if I had powered through the entirety of my philosophy paper first, I never would have finished my final history essay this past semester.
Doing this will keep your mind from going into too much of a slump with the topic, giving your brain something different to engage with so you don’t get bored with it and can come back to it with a mind fresh for it again.
Good luck and you’ll do awesome!