7 Things To Know Before You Start College
Teenagers tend to know everything; they are full of energy and enthusiasm, and it is easy to assume a lot of things along the way. You may not know that you don’t know certain things in life when you are a young person who has the excitement of becoming a college student. Unfortunately, the unknowns may have a lot to do with your college success or failure; you may not experience rewarding college life.
If you need more information on what you are supposed to do before joining college, contact professional educational consultants, such as Peachy Essay, for help.
But first, congratulations on your achievement so far, you will soon be in college! The college application process may have been cumbersome and overwhelming, and now is the time to think of what you are about to get yourself into. College life is a different animal altogether; you are going to find out new things and new friends. You will experience happy moments and sometimes sad moments. Adjusting to your new surrounding may take a longer time, especially if you are moving to a completely different city or town. Also staying away from the scrutiny of your parents may tempt you to explore life with your new-found freedom.
Now that you can’t wait to start your college life, here are some seven essential things that you should know before you leave home.
1. Just Because You “Can do it,” Doesn’t Mean You “Should do it.”
Having freedom is a good thing, especially when you are becoming a young adult. However, your space comes with a lot of responsibilities. Most high school graduates yearn for that day when their parents will say goodbye after dropping them to college, and they want to be set free. But unfortunately, most students find college life utterly different from their everyday routine life, and you will find so many opportunities presented to you at the same time.
The reality of campus or college life is that you can easily access drugs and alcohol; young people love to experiment with everything they find and feel exciting, and some will overindulge. Don’t do things just because you have the opportunity to do them, and many people wish they heard this earlier. You could ruin your life and drown in drugs if you follow the college vibe blindly.
2. Don’t be fooled, Not everyone has your best interests at heart.
When you join college, it likes getting into the jungle, and you don’t know anyone. People come from different life experiences, and you meet in college, you will make friends, and to some extent, develop some hostility with a few. College is a real mirror of the society, every kind of human being is in there, there are honest and sincere people, but there are bad guys in there too. Don’t get to college and assume that everyone is like you; some unreliable people will pretend to be your friends only to get something from you. In life there are givers and takers, you should take your time to evaluate the friends you want to associate yourself with lest they take advantage of you. When you become more mature, it will be much easier for you to spot the fake people in your circle, but generally, be careful.
3. Watch what you eat and how you eat
Self-control is a positive virtue to have as a young person. Sometimes when you are left alone to decide how you live your life as college students do, you could go overboard. In colleges, there is an array of foodstuff available and everything is at your disposal at the cafeteria, but if you are not careful, you may get out of shape soon if you don’t watch your diet. Don’t just eat what is available or what your friends are eating. You should know that your health is your priority. Don’t be lazy and most of the time, prepare something to eat and not to always rush to the cafeteria to grab whatever you find.
4. Don’t skip classes, you are paying money
Every college has its requirements in terms of paying tuition fees, but going by approximation, on any given day, a class can easily cost you $160. Your parents can only hope that the kind of knowledge you get out of your course on any given day is worth the money they are paying for you. Unfortunately, some students don’t mind skipping classes; remember, this could be a scholarship or your parent’s savings. When someone works hard to give you a promising future, the best thing for you is to concentrate on your studies and make them proud. Your life belongs to you, your sponsors or parents can only facilitate your growth, but you have to play your part.
5. Ask for help when you need it
Learning is a process, and it may take you some time to understand a particular subject. Please don’t be afraid to ask for help; besides, no one knows it all, and that’s why people lean together as classmates, to help one another. Always have an open mind, whether you need counselling of advice, please don’t be too afraid to reach out for help. Many young people slowly get into depression when they can easily reach out for help; some students allow their ego to take control of them. Don’t be too proud to ask to learn requires openness, and being real, be willing to ask, it will do you a lot of good.
6. Work first, play later
Your primary mandate as a student is to learn and pass your academic evaluations with flying colours. However, students find it very difficult to strike a balance between social activities and their academic work. , you may spend much of your time doing useless things if you are not careful and before you know it, your course semester will be out. You are your police in college, nobody will remind you to do your assignments but you, always put first things first, and other things can wait. You know perfectly well that your time in college will soon be over so you should focus more on your studies and deal with social issues or play later.
7. Bring a picture of your pet
It is to bring your pet or a memorable picture with you to college. Take your dog’s picture with you, college life can sometimes be lonely, even though you will be with your friends or classmates, they may not give you the sensation that you may feel from your pet or the lovely memory and inspiration that you can get from the picture. Just spending time with your pet during your free time in college will give you the extra motivation to keep pushing, and also you will have that loyal friend to turn to when you are down.
Conclusion
College life is fun. There are a lot of unknowns that you will live to find out by yourself once you get in there. But you should go in with only one motive, which is to work hard to pass your tests and come out with a reliable and dedicated professional. You can enjoy all you want but know your limits, watch out your company and stay safe, study hard and enjoy the experience.