When I first started at the University, I thought it was just another four years of school, similar enough to high school so that I could keep the same routine. But alas, I was completely and utterly wrong. Plenty will change in college, for better and for worse, and there will be a lot of challenges. As someone who is starting her third year, here are some of the things I wish I knew at the start.
Balance, balance, BALANCE!
Balance your academic and social life. Balance your work and personal time. Balance your research hours and your own projects. Know your limits. I know that many of you are overachievers, but it is important to build up what’s on your plate, not put as much as you can all at once. Balance can prevent burnout which is good for you in the long run! Don’t bury yourself.
Seriously, don’t skip class.
There was one mandatory class I took sophomore year for my major that put me to sleep and it was the only class I willingly skipped (just twice). What I can tell you is that skipping a class for no particular reason just once might feel trivial, but once you get on the class-skipping-train, you might not be able to hop off. And then you fall behind on lectures because if going to class is boring, watching the online lecture will be torture. There will be nobody to keep you accountable to finish watching that lecture. I had to force myself to walk to this class every Tuesday and Thursday, even if it meant sitting in the lecture hall and zoning out and zoning back in when there were new things on the slides. Go to class, even if it’s to just turn your brain off and soak in information subconsciously.
Don’t put your hobbies on the sideline.
Hobbies keep you alive; they prevent your mind from being buried by all the literature you have to read or the studying you have to do. Sometime last semester, my friend took me to the Sage Art Center when she needed to work on her projects. I would either sit in there and work on Orgo or other times, she would find me a block of wood and I would just paint. Instead of worrying about an exam the following week, I could focus on the present. I always thought hobbies were a waste of time whenever there were responsibilities, but it helps declutter your mind. Keep ’em alive.
Schedule your classes to fit you.
People often overlook this, but the way you make your schedule can make or break your semester. Some might like classes back-to-back while others cannot sit through two of them. Knowing whether you can sit through multiple one-hour and fifteen minute classes in a row is extremely crucial especially if you’re like me and do not have the capacity for three classes in a row; it might be compelling to put classes back-to-back to get them over with, but it is exhausting. Same goes for whether to sign up for 8 a.m. or 6 p.m. classes. Know your limits and make your schedule around those limits.
Switching majors is okay.
College is supposed to be the place you explore what you want to do. So don’t let the set-in-stone-career people intimidate you. Finding what you actually want to do will always out-trump pushing through a major you despise. Which brings me to my next point…
Please, please, please take classes for fun and explore.
Utilize the University’s open curriculum. We have a cluster system. If a hobby did not make it to your aspiring career list, take it for your cluster! Explore all the different classes the University offers and build something you enjoy (other than your major(s)) into your schedule.
Attend Orientation events.
Orientation in itself, is a prime opportunity to make life-long friends and meet individuals that could make your college experience exponentially better. It is an opportunity to surround yourself with mentors and peers alike that’ll stand with you throughout your college career. You don’t have to go to every single event, but Orientation is the place where everyone wants to meet new people. Take the opportunity to make connections.
Get to know your professors.
Oftentimes, your professors are really interesting people. Go to their office hours and ask them questions about their lectures and make conversation with them after class. They’re generally great people to get to know and it’ll make getting letters of recommendations easier. They might even connect you to opportunities you never know you’ll have or push you to excel in ways you didn’t expect.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Whether it’s your peers, professors, or financial aid or academic advisors, ask questions. I developed a habit in high school of trying to figure everything out myself but that has shown to be excruciating. You could spend hours trying to figure out a neural pathway when all it takes is to ask your professor a simple question during office hours. Time is important — spend it wisely.
All in all, use your first-year to really figure out what works for you. In the end, college is a place for you to explore who you are as a person and to grow from who you were in high school. Have fun with it!
