Like any college freshman, the idea of this new chapter in my Book of Life hit me like a ton of bricks; I was stressed about going to school before it even started! I was so nervous about not making friends, failing classes, and living the typical “broke college student” narrative. With all my things packed and ready for my new dorm, my mind wandered to the worst case scenarios–since I had everything else taken care of. Being in your position, I figured out these tips along the way to make the most of my first year in college. So sit back, relax, and watch your front because I got your back.
Since we’re honest here, I’ll come right out and say it: College is a smaller fraction of actual schoolwork and a larger fraction of your personal lifestyle. You’ll probably have no more than 3-4 classes on one day, leaving so much more time for you to sleep, chill, and do whatever you want for the rest of the day. For me, I spent this time socializing. Having a life outside of academics is so important because you form bonds with people who will literally become your best friends. Having friends helped me through a lot of my drama with classes and my personal life. They were a huge part of my support system away from home. Friends can also come in handy when you share classes with them; not many college professors will give you their slides or lectures if you missed their class, even with an excused absence. The friends you make in class will come to be your educational support system. They’ll share their notes with you, you can study together, and you can avoid that awkward feeling when there’s a group assignment, and you have no idea who to work with so you get stuck with a lazy stranger.
Don’t get too comfortable though; you should still focus on your education. Set aside time to study after each class; you retain information better if you review after it’s been taught rather than cramming an hour before an exam. Coming from someone who graduated in the top 10% of her high school class and never studied a thing, college material is entirely different. I was new to the idea of actually looking at my notes after I wrote them, so I managed to use different ways to study and keep myself engaged while I did. Casually reading over my notes was boring and I almost always fell asleep doing it, so I turned to Quizlet. It was easy to use on my phone and had different modes to help me retain material instead of just remembering it. I was also able to find study sets from people who were in my class or who had taken my class before, but I never relied on those sets; professors can often switch the curriculum or the order they teach in, so stick to your notes or notes from someone you trust.
Raise your hand if you want to be broke! Yeah, that’s what I thought. Whether you’re putting yourself through college or someone else has taken that financial burden, the easiest thing to do is go broke. Congrats on that refund sis! But if you’re focused on buying bundles and Uggs, it’ll be gone just as soon as you got it. BUDGET YOUR MONEY. SAVE YOUR COIN. I couldn’t handle being a full-time student AND having a part-time job, so I chose only to be a student. I had money from my parents here and there and some cash from scholarships and student loans, but without a steady income, I was struggling. I could spend $400 in one week alone than be forced to survive the rest of the month with $5.89. I caught on quick to my terrible spending habits and made a budget for myself using a feature my bank had set up online. I was able to decide what I wanted versus what I needed and still had money to stash away in my savings. If you need help budgeting, you can always go to your bank and make an appointment with a representative who can look at your account and go through your wants and needs with you. But the bottom line is don’t be broke. You’re becoming an adult now and rainy days come around with their financial stress. You can’t always rely on asking people for money when you don’t have it because they’re adults too and they have their rainy days and budget priorities.
Wow, look at you. You’re a social butterfly with a GPA worth some bragging and an airtight money plan. As great as that sounds, I can guarantee you that it wasn’t easy. You’ll have your own internal issues to deal with that your friends won’t entirely understand, your GPA won’t help, and money won’t do a thing to solve. So here’s the most important part of your college experience: your mental health. Don’t ignore your feelings of being overwhelmed, or missing your family and old friends, or thinking you’ve hit rock bottom because you aren’t where you want to be at this point in your life. Take time for yourself to rest your mind and relax your spirit–trust me, you’re going to need it. Do something you enjoy,catch up on sleep, binge watch your favorite Netflix series, or play in your makeup. Just calm yourself and be at peace so you can avoid a bigger issue, like a mental breakdown. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health, so take a day from class if you feel yourself biting off more than you can chew. Be your version of success, but don’t lose yourself along the way!