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Happy Saturday Everyone!
Last week, I began a series on the blog called How to Succeed in College: Freshman Year and On. While I had originally only posted half, and planned to post the other half separately (below), I decided this is a series I enjoy writing and would like to continue; rather than just split a post that was too long into multiple parts. I for one may have known these, and used my own tips, during my Freshman year, but just seeing them written out reminds me to do them more often. I'm hoping to help not only incoming Freshman succeed, but all college students (including myself). I hope you enjoy this post. Tweet me @HarbourBlog if you have any specific topics you'd like tips for!
Pay attention in class
If you struggle to pay attention and don’t want to miss important information, see if you can record audio of the lecture, or ask the professor to post slides on Moodle/Email them to the class
Take good notes but if the professor posts the slides online, take notes of only the most important bullet points and what the professor says
Do not write down every word on the slide or everything the professor says. You won’t have time and will be so focused on taking the notes, you won’t be able to keep up with the lecture
Take photos of the board for assignments or notes that you don’t have time to write down
Use your syllabus & an agenda! I cannot begin to tell you how important this is!
Right after you get your syllabus, write all the assignments into your agenda. Make sure this is in pencil or erasable pen; professors tend to change assignments and due dates, especially during snowy months.
Also write in all events that interest you into your agenda. As a sports photographer, I write the home games into my agenda. I also like to write in cool events such as Paint U! so I know when they are.
Don’t forget doctors appointments, etc. I try to keep track of when I buy my Clarisonic brush head and leave a reminder three months later to replace it. And obviously keep track of your cycle (tips on this later) especially since it can change when you are in a different environment, possibly sync up to other girls’ cycles.
I use different color pens, highlighters, and post its to keep track of assignments and due dates.
I always write assignments in my agenda on the day they are due. When I’m looking to see what assignments need to be done, I check what’s listed for the next couple of days rather than writing them on the day I need to do them/the day they’re assigned. If a due date is not for a while, and/or it’s coming up, I write a list of assignments I need to complete on post its and place these on the current day. If I don’t complete them that day, I move the post it to the next day and cross off the assignments I have completed (more about my planner organization in a future post).
Don’t expect to be besties with the people you meet & hangout with before and during orientation. Unless you have a real connection, there’s a chance you won’t be good friends or even friends at all once classes start.
Find friends in all different majors, groups, and years. My best friends are all in science majors which means I have class when they don’t and vice versa. While I don’t have best friends in other subjects, I do have acquaintances in my major, in my classes, and with people I work with both on the paper and work study.
Join at least one club or intramural team but don’t join too many or you’ll feel overwhelmed.
Plan your spare time based on priority
I like to plan my time outside of classes by priority. I make time for assignments, work, club activities, my friends/family, and myself.
Assignments and studying are top priority as they have the biggest affect on your grades. I make sure I plan to have time for assignments before anything else (even if I don’t do it till last minute, I make sure I have time last minute).
Work is the second priority as I get paid and it is a responsibility. I leave certain weeknights open for sports games, babysitting, and Wednesday afternoons for dog walking. Then I make time to upload, process, and send photos to my boss.
My third priority is the newspaper, especially since they depend on me for the sports I sign up to take photos at. Since I kill two birds with one stone by taking photos for work & the paper at the same time, I only need to make time for editing & formatting photos for newsprint. This can take a lot of time, and since I commit to this club, I prioritize this after assignments and work.
As I mentioned before, do not overwhelm yourself with club commitments. I prioritize my school work and have a job, so I only have time for one club; otherwise I would be too stressed *stress is normal, you should feel stress otherwise you aren’t working hard enough. But you should know what is the right amount of stress versus too much*
This past year, I did try to prioritize my family and responsibility for my dog, but being part introvert, I struggled to prioritize time with friends. It can be hard to make time for friends when you are an introvert AND a commuter, but I noticed that my best friend (who also commutes) did a better job making time to hangout with friends this year than I did. My goal from sophomore year on, is to prioritize time with friends over time with Netflix and my bed.
While prioritizing me time was not hard this past year (for me at least), it can be a struggle for some people in college. I know many people who are extroverts or trying too hard to build up their resumes that do not give themselves enough sleep or time to relax. This is why I suggest knowing your limits with commitment and clubs; remember, it may be bad to have time for bingewatching, but you should give yourself time to watch 2-3 episodes of a show each day. Without me time, you won’t be able to keep up with your other priorities. So in a way, me time may be the lowest priority on this list, but it should always be kept in mind when deciding how much to commit to different things.
Remember, if you are over exhausted, having panic attacks, feeling depressed, or physically sick, you need to prioritize yourself over EVERYTHING (including school).
Find your corner of campus
This is especially important if you’re a commuter or don’t like your roommate! Whether your place is quiet or loud, find somewhere you are comfortable being and can get work done.
An important thing to remember is to find a place with a good location and atmosphere for you. My classes during freshman year gave me time between; I would stay on campus but my friends were usually in class.
Fall Semester I had classes mainly in the English building so I would hangout in the coffee shop on the first floor. If I had enough time between classes, and it wasn’t cold out, I’d walk to the student center (which holds club offices, a food court, and the tiny commuter’s lounge), but for the most part I’d only hangout there if my friends were available.
Spring Semester, I only had a couple classes in the English building, most of my classes were in the Art building. In between classes there, I would either go to my sculpture class early to do work, sit on a bench in the hallway, or (my favorite spot) the windowsill on top of the lockers in the second floor hallway.
If you don’t have much time between classes, you can either go into the classroom early, sit on the floor outside, or usually you can find a bench in the hallway.