As college students, we devote a lot of our time and money to gaining an education so that we can lead successful lives. The things we learn in our classes will be valuable as we grow up and advance in our lives, but there are skills and habits we won’t learn in school that will be just as essential to being successful adults. Here are a few things you should start doing now so you are more prepared to be a better adult.
1. Be On Time
Being on time isn’t always easy, but don’t be the person who is known for being late all the time. This trait will be very important when you get out of college and get a career, because not many companies are wanting to pay anyone good money if they can’t count on them to show up on time. Being on time also shows that you care about whatever you are going to, and that you take it seriously. If someone were to show up fifteen minutes late to a lunch date it would probably bug you, because it shows that they don’t respect your time.
2. Save Money
Most of us aren’t rolling in cash at this age, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be smart with the money we do have. Set a goal to save a certain percent of every paycheck, and put this money in it’s own account where you won’t touch it. You will be amazed how fast it will add up. A budget is another way to help save money. It’s very easy to lose track of how much you spend and what you spend it on. Budgeting allows you to spend your money more wisely so you don’t feel poor all the time. Sometimes budgeting is as simple as making yourself check your account balance daily. I know it’s scary, but when it comes to your finances ignorance is definitely not bliss, and you will make smarter money decisions if you know how much you have.
3. Prepare Your Taxes
It’s easy to pawn your taxes off on a parent, but it’s actually pretty simple to learn how to do them, and you will be glad you have this skill. At this young of an age taxes are usually fairly straightforward, so don’t waste your money having someone prepare them for you, when you could do it yourself in an hour or less.
4. Make A Schedule
Life as a college student is pretty much pure chaos. Making a schedule allows you to see how much time you have, and decide how to manage it so you can get as much done as efficiently as possible. Making a schedule will also help you with being on time, because your time will be better organized.
5. Keep Things Clean
As college students we aren’t known for our cleanliness. Many dorm rooms are covered in clothes, food, and clutter. Keeping up with cleaning will not only set you apart from other people your age, it will also lower your stress levels. Life is a lot nicer when you wake up in a clean room, get ready in a clean bathroom, and put on clean clothes.
6. Learn to Cook
We all know someone who lives off of Ramen and toast, because that’s all they can make. Learning to cook will benefit you in a lot of ways. The most obvious benefit is the delicious food you will get to eat, but cooking also allows you to eat healthier and to save money. Eating out is not cheap, and you can almost always get better food for a lot cheaper if you are willing to put in some work. Learning to cook can also allow you to impress a date with your new skills.
7. Try New Things
College is a time where we have a ton of opportunities to try new things. These include traveling, learning a sport, studying abroad, or learning a new subject. Sometime we think we are too busy or don’t have enough money for these opportunities, but I would urge you to take these opportunities while they are so readily available, and before life keeps you from being able to. These new skills and experiences will help you in your future.
Adulting is often looked at as robbing us of fun and replacing it with a bunch of new responsibilities, but it also provides us a great opportunity to find ourselves and build a new life. Gaining these skills while you are in college will make the transition to full-blown adulthood a lot easier.