8 Tips every College student needs to survive

When I was in college, I was one of those individuals that wanted to do it all. In fact, the question people often ask me when I tell them I took 21 credits and worked 5 part time jobs, somehow managed a social life and still had a decent GPA, “How did you manage to do it?” That’s a great question and my answer was honest. I actually don’t do it all- in fact I would let a few things slip through the cracks or worse- over do it and end up out of class and work for a week because I was mentally exhausted and super sick. ​

I’ve learned a lot in college and, if you haven’t started yet, you will too. You’ll learn how to navigate complex social structures and hierarchies similar to those in the jungle (only kind of kidding here) and how to manage a million things all at once. I’m here to share my tips on “doing it all” and how to get the most out of your college experience.

1. ​Pick things you love

I know it sounds generic, but don’t do something just because everyone else is doing it. You’ll wind up spending time on things that don’t help you grow as a person and time on things you don’t enjoy. If you choose to do things you actually love, you’ll not only have fun doing them, you’ll meet other individuals who share your same interests.

​2. Sit down and get organized

Dedicate some time to writing all of your assignments, due dates, meetings, office hours, etc. in a planner. You’ll thank me later. Finding it hard to get organized? Pick a planner you love. Make sure it highlights your important tasks, your hourly commitments and if you love horizontal or vertical layouts. Make it look pretty, colorful and easy for you to read and coordinate with tests, extra activities and your work schedule. 

3. Find a method that works for you

I am a morning person, so I have to work around that schedule. Sometimes it means waking up before the sunrise and going to sleep at 9 pm. Sometimes it means cooking all day on Sunday so I don’t have to during the week. Don’t forget to write it all down in that planner I mentioned!

4. Show up to class (and take good notes)

No one has sympathy for the kid who isn’t doing well and didn’t even bother showing up to learn. Make sure that you’re ready to learn with each passing class. If that means an extra cup of coffee then do it. Your teachers will acknowledge your hard work and showing up is half the battle! ​

5. Allocate extra time for things you don’t want to do

Also, don’t wait until the last minute to do them. They will probably take you longer than you think because you don’t want to do them. And those things you have months to do? There is a reason you have months to do them. They will probably take much longer than a day, so try your best to work on them when you have the time rather than all at the last minute.

6. Taking test

Study one hour or one chapter a day leading up to the exam and review everything the night before. This system seems to help me so I don’t end up cramming all at the last minute. Make an outline of the chapter, various notes to help you study and even color code to assist you in picking out the important information. ​

7. Try not to overcommit

I am guilty of this one because I just want to do everything. But I always have to remind myself; do I want to be mediocre at everything or extraordinary in just a few things? This is why I ended up dropping out of several other clubs to focus on the fashion club, my blog, and graduating of course.

Image: Big Deahl’s Movers

8. Know Your Resources

One of the big tips on helping you learn about college are all the resources that the college offers including tutors to help you in area’s you aren’t comfortable about, assisting in getting yourself organized to help study for tests and even enjoying meeting new friends in your dorm area. Before all of that, you need to get to college in a safe way. Packing is the hardest part and if you aren’t sure what to bring, give a call to the professionals who can offer their services for you. Big Deahl’s Movers can assist you in packing up your belongings depending if you are moving locally in the area or looking for moving safes in the Rancho Cucamonga area. ​