Years ago, the college experience applied only to recent high school graduates and meant spending hour after hour in a crowded lecture. Today, this is only one of the possible snapshots of a college student. The ideas in this article are perfect for students from all backgrounds and in all majors. Read on for insight and inspiration.
When you enter college, try to reduce the amount of starches that you eat during your freshman year. Typically, you will put on a lot of weight in the initial stages of college, as this will help you to counter that. Try to incorporate a lot of fruits and vegetables into your diet.
When you are getting ready to go to college you should make a list of things that you need to take with you. Being well prepared will allow you to be as self sufficient as possible. This is beneficial if you are traveling a long distance to your college.
One of the smartest things that you can do as you enter college is to map out the exact route of your schedule before the first of class. This will give you a great idea of where you need to be at what time, and also will reduce the frequency that you get lost.
You don’t want to find yourself applying for grants and scholarships too late in the game. You won’t have to borrow as much money if you get your finances in order earlier. Come up with a system that lets you manage your applications so that you can submit them promptly.
You should never spread yourself too thin by taking on more than you can handle. If you are cranky in the mornings, maybe a harder early class is not the best choice. Follow your biological rhythms when creating your schedule of classes.
If the campus you are attending is large, it is important to familiarize yourself with it during the first week. You should know how to get to the cafeteria, library, the Professor’s offices, college security, study rooms and the student center. Knowing the location of places you have to go saves time.
Download foreign language learning podcasts and MP3 lessons onto your MP3 player or tablet. Listen to the lessons while driving or riding the bus to school. This will help prepare you for your foreign language classes. You can practice pronunciation, and work on vocabulary instead of wasting your travel time.
When you go to college you often times will stay out late with friends to study or go to a party. Be safe, never walk home alone, carry your phone with you at all times, know where the safe zones are on campus, and consider carrying a small spray canister of pepper spray with you.
If you are looking to go back to college, but it has been a while since you were in school, consider attending evening classes. The instructors usually actively work in their fields during the daytime, and teach at night. This helps to bring a different element of real-life experience to the classroom.
Make sure you take care of yourself when you are away at school, get plenty of rest, drink plenty of water, and try to eat three meals a day. This will keep your sharp as a tack and ready to tackle even the hardest term paper that your professor throws at you.
Allow yourself to take breaks. Studying won’t be as effective if you overdo it. For every one hour that you spend studying, give yourself a short break of at least ten minutes. You should always stay with a schedule if you are in school.
If you have any textbook’s leftover after a semester, decide what to do with them. Your dorm room space is probably precious. Some books are worth keeping for professional use. However, if you do sell, do so privately. You can find a better value for your textbooks if you sell it to an individual instead of selling it online or to your college bookstore. Just make sure to sell soon, as new editions will outdate your texts quickly.
Taking classes is important but you should also find some kind of activities you can do on campus. All colleges have a lot of clubs or teams you can join, but you could also volunteer for an association or even start your own club. You will be able to add this experience on your resume.
Whether you take college courses online or on campus, you will do well to prepare yourself for the experience. The modern college student can be any age from 18 to 80 and may have years of experience or could be fresh out of high school. Either way, soon-to-be and current students must take advantage of every available resource. Reading this article was the perfect starting point!
