During the month of August you will probably find yourself packing for school rather than vacation. With your high school years under your belt, some think that college will be “a mini vacation,” complete with total freedom, eating whatever you want, coming and going as you please, not having a bedtime, and endless drinking and partying. While this all sounds very appealing and is definitely a part of college life, you will also encounter endless new responsibilities and decisions. It may seem difficult to navigate, but HC Merrimack has some tips and tricks to help you figure out your college life.
1. Find a Balance: This next chapter in your life offers opportunities for your future, but more importantly, college offers limitless choices. Do you want to party non-stop? How important is having a schedule full of classes that actually interest you? It’s up to you if you want to get involved in activities around campus, especially those most unlikely to be your first natural choice. Being able to get involved boosts self-confidence and makes it easier to reach out to new friends.
2. Be Friendly: While you may have found the boy who sat next to you in homeroom senior year really annoying, you might now find you actually don’t mind him – in fact, you might get along really well. It’s not necessarily because the boy changed, but you probably did. Everyone grows up eventually, and college is a great place to begin accepting others for who they are and not their fashion statement. You will be pleasantly surprised when you first reach out to someone to give him or her a chance and you have a ton of things in common. Be nice to everyone you meet – you never know who your new best friend could be!
3. Manage Your Time: Last, but not least, is the lifesaver concept of time management. Since your classes in college are likely to only take up a small portion of time each week, you’ll have a ton of free time during the day. Taking advantage of those chunks of time is sometimes difficult to do, but is a “must do”. There is a reason why college classes don’t consume your whole day. You have the ability to choose the best way to use your time. Do you need to put some extra time into that big chemistry exam? Will you finally try that new Thai restaurant downtown with girls? Your grades, involvement, social life and mental health all depend on how you manage your time, so make sure you’re making the most of it!
Before you know it, you will make that climb up the food chain to senior status once again. When you reach that point you’ll look back on all the priceless memories you’ve had over the four years with no regrets. And by the way…you don’t have to be a freshmen to make a few changes in your behavior. Don’t waste your college years away, however much time you have left, make the most of it!