Tips To Prepare For Your Freshman Year of College
“Do something today that your future self will thank you for.”
-Sean Patrick Flanery
Taking a major step in your life to becoming a college student can be a daunting task that many dread and prefer to avoid due to the overwhelming amount of information being provided and the tasks that are required. Moving into this chapter of your life is an incredible accomplishment that you should be proud of, however, the months leading up to your university life are pivotal times. To prepare for the coming years, there are some habits and pieces of advice that will come in handy and get you ahead of the curve!
1. Find Interests and Hobbies
The first point to prepare for college would be to discover specific interests and hobbies that spark enthusiasm to practice, learn, and improve. Pinpointing a few areas that you would like to specialize in before entering college will allow you to easily discover clubs, organizations, and people to surround yourself with. Have it be a sport, religion, or academic interest, there is an abundance of opportunities to meet like-minded individuals and invest time into what you truly love!
2. Organize and Plan Schedules Consistently
Next, the most essential skill to develop and master in preparation for college would be to understand effective organizational methods. Purchasing a planner, practicing daily goal setting, time-blocking, the Pomodoro technique, and other useful methods will promote smoother and less-stressful days allowing one to have fun while accomplishing their required tasks. Sticking to this habit consistently can be difficult to keep up, so start slow, don’t give up, and track your progress to continue maintaining a well-planned life! Time management is highly complicated to learn and retain throughout college while life gets so busy, so exercising the skill now will get you started for a successful college journey!
3. Network With Others
Once you arrive at college and even in events leading up to your first day, meeting and getting to know others going to the same school as you will likely lead to bountiful opportunities in the future. Socializing and connecting with peers during your school’s tour dates, welcome week events, and classes allow for perfect opportunities for you to bond with others and support each other in learning about the school/city, having fun, and succeeding overall. Pay attention to your school’s events by discovering them through the school sites, bulletin boards, and other students as they will serve as a phenomenal method of meeting similar individuals!
4. Learning Essential Life Skills
Switching living styles from high school to college life is complex and unique for most as dorm, apartment, or other housing choices will require skills for survival and ease. From the jump in housing to the different academic life, most individuals arriving at college will feel overwhelmed, confused, and anxious, however, taking the time to understand basic skills will go a long way. Incoming college students should look into developing skills such as cooking, washing clothes, cleaning dishes, time management, studying methods, hygiene, social skills, budgeting, networking, fitness, and other skills that your parents can advise you on can put you ahead of others jumping into their college life with no preparation.
5. Enjoy Yourself
All in all, looking ahead and taking time to support your future self is vital for college success, however, your final months leading up to college shouldn’t be completely devoted to college preparations. Contributing quality time to friends, family, and yourself is key to preventing burnout and maintaining momentum in mastering habits/skills for your time at university. Learning and growth mixed in with enjoyment, if done right, will lead to significantly greater results and create incredible memories to look back on.
~Alex