College is a confusing time. Whether you’re a freshman or a senior, you’re always trying to discover who you are and what your future holds. It can be tough at times, but there are many valuable lessons that are to be learned along the way.
Don’t be afraid to say no to clubs. I’ve found myself joining too many clubs over the past few semesters, and volunteering more than my schedule could handle. I would always think, “It will look great on my resume.” I started to realize though, when it was stressful on my mind, soul and body, it was time to set it back a couple notches.
Be organized. It’s extremely likely that the in-class quiz from last week’s class will be on the upcoming exam. But it’s also extremely likely that it got shuffled into a pile of the unknown. Stay on top of things, and try to put things in a folder or binder for each class weekly.
Don’t be afraid to say “no” to your friends. My friends would want to do a lot of group things together during the week and weekends, especially when warmer weather came around. No matter how much work I would have or how full my schedule was, I would always say I could go. Soon, I didn’t have the proper amount of time to study and focus on schoolwork. I realized I needed to make a change. It’s not your friends that are taking your test the next day, it’s you. It’s not your friends suffering the consequences if your grades are hurting, it’s your GPA. There will be more fun things to do, once you have all your responsibilites taken care of.
Take time for yourself. At the end of a long day, the best thing to do is sit back and relax. Take care of your body to keep yourself from getting sick. Also, take time to hit the gym when you get the chance, it’s good to stay healthy and in shape (even though it’s hard to do with a list that’s a mile long and the fast food line around the corner). Your mental, physical, and spiritual health is so crucial to your success not only in college but living a balanced life.