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Trying to stay above water in college is hard. It’s hard trying to figure out “how to adult” and it can feel like a big dose of imposter syndrome. How does anyone even know how to be a living breathing adult? To be honest, it’s just a bunch of people figuring it out as they go. That being said, there’s some tips that are particularly helpful when it comes to being an adult in this weird simulation called “college”.
1. Schedule your life: I know if you’re someone who transitioning from high school it can feel pretentious to schedule your life, but it’s a whole new ball game in college. You’ll have to become one of those people who says “lets me check my schedule.” This is not as simple as just putting things randomly in your google calendar. Pro-tips: start with your class schedule, then schedule yourself for study time, then schedule time to destress weekly. After you’ve completed those steps you can add what you want. By doing this you make everything you must do to succeed at college a priority and everything else (clubs, random obligations) comes secondary.
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2. Keep a manifestation journal: Stick with me. College can be such a whirlwind of experiences and it can sometimes feel like it’s something that’s happening to you rather than something your apart of. It might seem kinda pointless, but just as it’s important to set goals in your academic life, it just as important to have personal aspirations. Take a small portion of your day to write down how you want your week to look and what you hope to gain from it. This allows you to have a vision and not just go about your week haphazardly.
3. Go over you card statements *atleast* every week: make a habit of not just passively glancing at your balance and then going on with your life, but actually look at your spending and think about your financial life. It may not seem like it but college is the best time to be setting financial goals and setting your future up with a good relationship with money. Don’t fall into the broke college student stereotype. Read your statements and really think about if you needed to spend that $200 on Uber rides this month.
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4. Have a “chore day”: I don’t know if everyone had this but in my house, we had a cleaning day and that was Sunday. The idea of routinizing cleaning is so helpful when you’re in college. Of course, you should be cleaning up as you go, but chose one light day (sometimes it better to do this in the week) and do a deep clean. Having a clean room is more than just about aesthetics and can seriously affect your health, so your chore day should include disinfecting surfaces, dusting and all of that. Trust me, your life will feel so much more put together if your room smells like a housekeeper came over. It’s you, you’re your housekeeper. Pro-tip: have a deep cleaning checklist so you don’t miss anything.
5. Call your parents!: I know this is unexpected but even when you’re in college being grown and living your life, you still need direction. Talking to older people in your life (this isn’t limited to your parents) shows you the big picture and can often remind you why you’re at college in the first place. Let’s be real; sometimes with all the drama of college, you forget that you’re supposed to be here bettering yourself and getting an education. You’re not alone and everything you’re going through, they’ve gone through too; the self-doubt, procrastination…all of it. It’s tempting to just talk to your friends but your parents, professors, and seniors are all good resources when it comes to getting your life together in college.
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College is an experience; it’s fun, it’s crazy and it’s hard. It’s a period in your life when you’re growing more than you ever did and it’s totally okay to feel like you have no idea what you’re doing. That comes along with the process. Just have faith that through living and improving yourself every day, you’ll get to a point where “adulting” feels like a breeze. It’s the light at the end of the tunnel and you’ll get there eventually.