When I came to Illinois State University as a freshman, I knew I had a bright future ahead of me. I was excited to be in a new environment and make new friends. I had so much freedom, it felt like a dream. However, as an adult, I knew I would enter a world where I’d have to learn how to spend my time effectively. Time flew by and I realized I am becoming the person I’ve always aspired to be – that is, a hardworking, determined, and independent woman. As a senior at ISU, I’ve learned some very important lessons along the way that have helped me become successful.
1. Take Advantage of Office Hours
During my freshman year of college, I kept hearing people say, “Go to your professor’s office hours.” It was a constant echo in my head that has followed me to this day. I became that student who always raised her hand in class when the teacher asked, “Are there any questions?” I struggled with math as a sophomore because my teacher sped through his power points. (I hated that.) I took initiative and stopped by his office hours until I felt like I understood the material. Even today, I constantly email one of my professors to schedule meetings in his office because failing isn’t an option for me. I’ve probably visited him so much he’ll see my face in his dreams.
2. Sacrificing Sleep
The hardest part of every day is getting out of bed. Do you love snuggling under your warm covers and doing absolutely nothing…? Of course you do, but that’s too easy, and life isn’t. There were many times I had to sacrifice sleep and spent hours studying for exams in the middle of the night. I’ve pulled an all-nighter before. (I don’t recommend it.) My point is, some of the most successful people in the world don’t get the normal eight hours of sleep because every hour you sleep is another hour you could be writing a paper, studying, reading, and achieving. If you substitute scrolling through Facebook or Twitter for being productive at 2:00 a.m., you’ll be more successful.
3. Creative Study Habits Work
As a college student. I realized the traditional way of studying is boring to me. It’s hard for me to understand concepts and definitions by reciting 80 different power points. (Yes, my professors are that insane.) I learn songs fast because they have a melody and a beat to them, so I decided to create songs out of my lecture notes. I would play an instrumental of one of my favorite songs and start plugging in the content I was learning in class. My grades are always higher when I study that way, so I’d recommend at least trying it.
4. Get Involved Early on Campus
You’ve probably heard this a million times: “Get involved in some organizations!” Although it may sound like a broken record, it’s the truth. If I could redo college, I would’ve gotten involved in organizations during my first semester of sophomore year. This would’ve been a perfect time for me to get involved because I would’ve been settled and already established a GPA. It’s a great way to improve your time management skills. Now, I’m making up for that time by applying to new positions in my current organizations to make me a well-rounded person. It’ll all be worth it once I send in my resume for my dream job.
5. Make Time for Yourself
You may overlook the fact that you aren’t a robot and you can’t work for 24 hours straight without crashing. Take some time out of your day to exercise and get those muscles pumping. You could also simply close your eyes to relax – it won’t hurt, I promise. You are a human being, that means your body will eventually force itself to shut down if you overwork it. If you want to find out, keep working when your body wants to rest. You’ll experience sleep paralysis if you haven’t already. Sleep paralysis happens when you’re unable to speak or move while falling asleep, or even when you’re awake. I’ve experienced it before. It’s very scary. Do yourself a favor and take a break!
Being a college student isn’t easy, and neither is waking up in the morning, but you know what? You have something in your head called your brain, which is the most powerful organ in the human body. It helps you make decisions… you know that because you’ve decided not to go to class before. I challenge you to take my advice, and hopefully your student life will be a little less stressful.