Sometimes, it’s difficult to leave the things you’ve always known behind. The transition from high school to college was hard. I had to force myself to go to class, remember to buy myself food, and learn how to balance work, school, my social life, all while still trying to get enough sleep. Even though I’ve now finished my first year of college, I know there is still so much left for me to learn and explore. What I have learned, though, has helped me tremendously throughout the year, and hopefully it will help you!
- Take advantage of the tutorial centers. I struggled immensely when it came to Chemistry, and I found that going to the tutorial centers brought my grade up a lot. Not only did they answer my questions, but they talked me through how to do the problems. It helped me solve and understand the material much better than before.
- Go to the cafeterias. College cafeterias are very different from high school cafeterias. There are many cafeterias across campus (such as PCB, Fresh
Food Company, and Southern Kitchen) that offer a large variety of wonderful food. I used a chunk of my dining dollars my first semester before realizing how much I loved the cafeteria food! - Make room rules if you have a roommate. Tension between roommates is never fun. Since I don’t enjoy conflict, I basically let my roommate run our room for my entire first semester. When I finally addressed the issues we had, and set up some ground rules, I had a much better second semester and a more stable relationship with her. Sometimes, these situations can seem more stressful than they actually are. By speaking out, you can change the atmosphere of the room and the relationship with your roommate!
Find balance in your schedule. This seems impossible (trust me, I know), but it can be done. Planners are essential for organization and balance. , not what day they are due, and keep them ready in my binder to turn in. This allows me to know what times I am available to go out, stay ahead in school, and helps decrease my stress and balance my social life.- Participate in study groups. In high school, I could study by myself and make great grades, but college is different. Study groups are almost necessary to pass a class, especially harder ones like Biology and Chemistry. People take notes and study differently than I do, and by figuring out how to work my information with their information, I could better understand and complete the material. This helped to not only boost my confidence, but my test scores as well.
Following these guidelines helped make my first year of college an incredible one. I’m finally on top of my work, I get enough sleep, and I have time to hang out with my friends. I hope that by following these steps, you can have a wonderful year too.