Between the tips for studying and the suggestions for your college class schedule, it can be a lot to keep track of! Then, you have a new life starting at your school. Your social life, your classes, a potential job, studying, homework, and free time – it’s a lot going on at once! As a result, sometimes, the most obvious “tips” get forgotten in the whirlwind. But here’s your reminder: 4 tips for success that may seem obvious, but are easily forgotten once you start college!
1. You Get Out What You Put In
College is an unforgettable experience on its own, and a part of your life that you will remember forever. And the education you receive will forever have an impact on your career, passions, friendships, and life as a whole. That’s why it’s so important to remember: You will get out what you put in.
If you’re not putting the time into studying, you will not get a satisfactory education – even if you pass and graduate! And if you’re not putting the effort into friendships, you may have “friends” but you likely won’t be able to keep them after graduation. If you’re partying all the time, you may come out with plenty of friends, but you could lower your chances of getting a solid career or even graduating!
Keeping this in mind through every part of your life at college will pay off. Rewards don’t come without work! And if you put in the work now, it will pay off 10x in the future.
2. There’s More to It Than Just Grades
Of course, success in college is more than just trying to get the highest grade you can. Though grades are important, they shouldn’t be your endgame. Instead, you should be learning tactics to retain what you learn, improve your active learning skills, and how to apply your knowledge to real-life situations and challenges. This will be different for every student, too, as students learn differently!
This time of your life is also the perfect opportunity to forge lifelong connections and grow your network. You could very well make the connection that leads to an amazing career after graduation.
So while grades are important and you should be studying, you need to think of college on the whole. It’s so much more than a potential 4.0.
3. Use the Resources Available to You
You know your college has a career center, but have you ever visited it? And you know they have mental health services, but have you ever scheduled an appointment?
Colleges have plenty of resources available to students, but many don’t take advantage of them! Some students don’t even realize what the resources do or don’t know they can be beneficial to their goals.
Career centers, for example, help students forge connections with potential employers, assistance with resumes, offer mock interviews, and so much more. These parts of the college can offer lifelong lessons to students who take the initiative!
And mental health services are not there just for panic attacks or mental disorders. Working with a school counselor can help you gain insight about yourself, tackle anxiety, and develop skills that improve your mental health in the long run.
4. Get (and Stay) Organized
Every student knows they need to get organized to succeed in college. However, staying organized is the hardest part! It can be easy to create a planner, pin a calendar to your wall, and craft a study schedule at the beginning of a semester, but will it stick over the next four to five months? Or will it be forgotten in the mix of everything else?
It’s important to set time aside for organization, too! You may want to take time every Sunday or Monday to schedule the week ahead and ensure you have everything planned for. Organization pays off big time if you stick with it, especially come finals!
You’ll hear plenty of tips regarding how to make college a success from guidance counselors, teachers, parents, and other adults (in addition to the tips we supply on College Raptor), and it’s a lot to keep track of. While you should take the advice to heart, the four tips we listed above often get forgotten in the whirlwind of, “Don’t forget to set time aside for studying!” or “Make sure to apply to FAFSA!” But they’re extremely important tips to remember – especially during the later years of your college experience!
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