Many people find attending college to be a thoroughly enjoyable time in their lives. However, many people dread it too. The reason a lot of people are uncomfortable going to college is because they are not sure what to expect. It can be very helpful to learn as much as possible about what to expect when you go to college.
Go visit several potential colleges to help you decide where you want to go to college. By visiting universities, private colleges and community colleges, you can decide what environment you really want to be in. Most colleges offer several tours throughout the school year. Many also offer an opportunity to shadow a student to see what a normal day is like.
A great tip that will help you succeed in college is to carefully plan out your course load each semester. You don’t want to get overzealous and pick way too many hard classes at once. You’ll barely be able to keep up, and you won’t be capable of submitting your best work.
Make sure to make time for both socializing and academics. Some students spend all their times in their dorm rooms studying, which can be depressing and lonely, while others are so social that their coursework suffers. You should get out of your room and do something fun at least once a week and devote at least an hour a night to studying for each of your classes to help you stay balanced.
Visit the dorm before deciding to live there. You may discover that you don’t want to live in that environment. Not only that, but you may find that you prefer one dorm over the other. Make sure you will get the choice you signed up for, and make sure you have a contingency plan in place if you chose a single room but end up in a quad.
A credit card is often necessary, particularly if you are going to school far away from home. However, be smart about your decision. Research your options and select a card that has a low interest rate. Also, make sure there aren’t any annuals fees and don’t be tempted by high credit limits. Those are just a recipe for disaster.
Student’s discounts are one of the best perks of college, especially if you need to save money. Check with your student resource center or ask an adviser for a list of perks. Many local restaurants, movie theaters and bookstores offer generous discounts when you present a student ID. This allows you to save money and show school pride.
Develop good study habits while in high school. College professors normally expect that students in their classes know the proper way to study for exams, write term papers and how to research information. By learning this while in high school you can ensure success in college. If you do not have good study habits, ask for help.
Get the names and number from a few people in each class so that if you have to be absent then they can fill you in on what was covered in class and can share their notes with you and give you any work that was assigned so that you won’t get behind in your work.
You should consider signing up for a work study program if you want to get some professional experience. Most work study programs will require you to alternate between taking classes and working as an intern. This is a good way to finance your education while gaining some professional experience and building a professional network.
On the day of your exam, go to the bathroom ahead of time. This may sound self-explanatory, but there are so many things to remember on test day that it’s easy to forget. When testing, you want to eliminate as many distractions as you can and your bladder can be a big distraction.
Invest in a good pair of noise cancelling headphones so that if you have to study in your noisy dorm room, it will help to block most of the noise out and focus on your work. Unnecessary noise can not only distract you but can irritate you and make you unable to focus. So help keep the peace by investing in a pair of noise cancelling headphones.
Make sure that you register for classes the minute that you are allowed to. If you wait to register, there is a good chance that you will not get the classes, teachers and times that you desire. This can leave you in a very undesirable situation where you will be faced with a difficult schedule.
If you can put off choosing your major for a while, think about it. When you first get to college, your general education classes give you a broad experience. You may discover that you actually want a different major than the one you thought you would! So take it slow and decide what you really want.
If you do not like the roommate that you are stuck with on the first day of school, speak with someone to get this changed. Remember that you are going to be living with this person for a long time, so nip the problem in the bud before it becomes an issue in the future.
Pick up a pair of ear plugs. College campuses and dorm rooms are not always ideal study environments, but you may not have a choice. Ear plugs can help you focus on your studies, even if there is a loud party next door or a pep rally down the street.
Living in a dorm can be exciting, but it is not always the safest place to live. As nice as your dorm mate may seem, he or she could also have sticky fingers. Lock your valuables in a safe or put it in a locked drawer. Also, lock your doors at night time to prevent strangers from entering your room.
