College is no wonder an important experience for everyone. However, getting through college can be very challenging. Studies, job, socializing, campus events, managing meal plans and what not! The midterms, quizzes and countless assignments just add more to the pain. Here are few tips I would like to share based on my personal experiences.
If you are a freshman, you are in a good position. Things are very new for you and could be quite intimidating but trust me, you will get over it soon. Just be careful, it shouldn’t affect your studies. This feeling is temporary and will go away but the damage will stay if you let it happen. So, how the first-year works is that you are given all the basic level courses. Try to give your 100% to it. I always remember to tell freshmen that your first year is the time to actually do your GPA a favor. It is usually easier to have a higher term GPA at the freshman year compared to other years as the course level increases with every semester. So, you definitely want to score well for the first few semesters when you can, so that your GPA is at a good position later down the line when courses get more difficult and grades start to fall. Also, a good GPA is a requirement if you want to be a college fellow, which is a wonderful opportunity; it allows you to nourish your leadership skills, gives you crucial communicating experience, builds a great network on your part and also looks very good on your resume. I highly encourage everyone to try and be a college fellow. Also, it is the first year of your college, so, enjoy your time, get involved in student clubs, make friends and participate in the different student activities on campus!
One very important thing to discuss is your major. It is okay to start college with something in mind and later switching to a different major. However, I suggest you take a decision after doing good evaluation on what you want to do and what options are available to you. Also, try to figure this out by the first semester of your college so that it’s easy on you to finish in time and smoothly. Talking to advisors and people who have taken the courses required for the major you are considering is a great start. Then comes the Sophomore year. You want to pay extra attention to your studies. Make sure you are ahead in the game of time management. Honestly, time management is the key through college. You have to do everything you need to do, but in time. Do not procrastinate. I repeat. Do not procrastinate. It’s very toxic for both your studies and your peace of mind. Try to invest more time in studies, go to office hours, get extra help at learning centers if you need to. Try to keep your GPA high as much as possible as the worst is yet to come in the later semesters. Also, try to pass with required grades for your major so that you do not have to repeat any courses. Repeating courses cause delay and a disrupt in the sequence of courses, especially when the course is a prerequisite for a course you have to take next semester.
Regarding the student clubs, make sure you are still involved in some of them and do as much as possible but never by hurting your studies. Remember, school work comes first! Simultaneously, start going to the career center and get involved in workshops, learn new skills, gain experience in networking, resume writing, applying for jobs, talking about your career perspectives and job prospects. You should also consider looking for internships at this point. So, going to the career center and talking with people more experienced at your interested field is a great help.
Last but not the least, for a sophomore, one of the most important things to keep track of would be the list of your required courses. Most colleges usually have a bulletin and a list of courses required to complete respective majors. You want to make sure you are going in the right track and taking all the courses as planned so that you can finish in time. Sophomore year is the time where you begin to feel the pressure and it is the time when you should hold on more firmly as most of the mandatory courses for the majors are taken at this time.
Coming to the junior year, life gets very busy at this point. You might have fewer courses than before but the courses are usually 300 level courses and are very difficult. Some people tend to take more courses too as long as they can handle the pressure and can maintain the quality of their performance. Nevertheless, a very busy time. You want to pass your courses at this point, as your inability to do so will risk your chances of graduating in four years’ time. Try to be more involved into career-related events and workshops. You might want to cut down a little bit on other student activities if you want to focus on your studies.
From my personal experience, I can tell that the courses at this point are very hard and I often get very demotivated. One thing I recommend doing is to go and talk to professors and the TAs, or even send them an email saying that you are not feeling confident about that topic, or that you are very stressed about that homework and could do with some help. No matter what, don’t give up. Just remember, you haven’t come this far just to give up. Persistence is something you need to maintain at all point. While you approach towards the end of your junior year and prepare for your senior year, talk to advisors about your progress and check with your department that you are on track. You don’t want to be told at your last year that there were few things you missed out those needs to be done and would require an extra semester than predicted. Another important aspect is to look out for career fairs. Make sure you are well prepared and your resume is well organized.
Kick start your final year with all your experiences, you know a lot now to know how to complete the rest of the courses in time and how to give your undergraduate life the perfect finishing touch. My best wishes for everyone in these shoes!