Tip #7 Study!

My seventh tip on how to survive college is to study! When I say study, I mean study a lot! College is not like high school, it is so much harder. I know I did not have to study at all in high school but in college I had to study at least a week before my exams. If your one of those people who can go to class and retain everything than yeah you probably do not need to study but for the rest of us who can not you need to study. If you do not study I am sorry to break the news but your going to fail. Oh and I will just break the news now life sometimes happens and you might not be able to study for an exam but you going to fail at least one exam in your college career but it is going to be okay. 

Do not procrastinate studying. They say you need to study like 4 hours for each class a day, well that is so unrealistic. Also, I could tell you that you need to study at least a week in advance for your exams, but it just depends on what type of learner you are. Some people can read the notes one time and be good others (like me) need an entire week to read over the notes. Also, an entire week to study is also sometimes unrealistic. Again, you have other things to worry about other than school because you do have a life however, just study as much as you can and not just the night before. 

When studying, study for a little bit and then take a break. It gets you no where when you study for 6 hours straight because your trying to comprehend to much information in too little time. Also, find what study skills work best for you. I found that flash cards helped me a lot however, my friends would make their own study guide. You also catch on to what information the professor is going to test you over and what information they are not going to test you over which helps to not spend so much time looking over the material you’re not going to be tested over. If you get tired while studying just take a nap. Its better to take a nap and get up and be focused than to be falling asleep while studying because you do not retain anything that way. 

Studying is going to get you through college. Yes, I know it is not what you want to do with your free time, but I promise all your hard work will be worth it in the end.

Tip #6 Exercise!

My sixth tip to survive college is to stay fit. Yes, you might think this tip is not related to college however, trust me it is. Exercising has so many benefits not only for your body but for your mind. Ever heard of the freshmen 15? Yeah, trust me when I say it is a real thing. Its one of the downsides of moving to college. 

Exercising is a way to destress. College is very stressful especially when you have more than on exam on the same day and a bunch of homework to do or a 10-page paper to write. It is found the exercising also helps you focus and retain more. Studies have shown that people who exercise on a daily basis do better in school than those who do not exercise.  I know you are probably thinking well if I have all this work then I am not going to be able to exercise. It is better to find an hour or two out of your study time to go work out than not. Plus, you need to give your brain a break from studying anyway. You are only supposed to study 20 minutes at a time (which is impossible if you want to get anything done).

Back to the freshmen 15 topic. Whoever does not know what this is, it means that when freshmen move to college most of the time they gain 15 pounds. This is just because college students tend to eat unhealthier and we do not get the healthy home cooked meals anymore. Plus, if you get hungry during classes Starbucks or pizza hut is right around the corner. If you dread gaining 15 pounds my best advice to you is to work out because this is a real thing. You could even take the long walk to class or walk to class instead of driving (that is if you live close enough to campus). Eating healthier could prevent this to. 

Sometimes it is tough to juggle exercising and all the school work however, it is doable. Even if you do not have time to workout one day just go the next day we all have days that are honestly just too busy especially if you are involved in a lot of things. If you are struggling with studying material, then take a break and go exercise. Yes, grades are important, but self-care and self-love are also important.  

Tip #5 Stay Organized!

My fifth tip to surviving college is to get organized and to stay organized. When you get organized it makes your life so much easier. When your organized you can find things easier and it will make you less stressed. Also, your less likely to lose your homework or notes when your organized. 

Make sure you have folders and notebooks for each class. DO not use the same folder for each class because then you will get the material mixed up. Also, you might take similar classes and if you do and do not have different folders you are just going to confuse yourself even more. I also would recommend using a notebook for each individual class because you would again mix up the notes for other classes. I would also recommend using a notebook instead of using loss leaf notebook paper because you can easily lose loss leaf paper. 

A planner will be your best friend in college. Without a planner you will lose track of when assignments are due and when you have important meetings. At the beginning of the semester each professor will give you a syllabus with all the due dates and test dates. When you get the syllabus write down all the due dates and test dates into your planner, so you know when you have what exam or assignment due for what class. Trust me you are going to have a lot of exams and its easier to look at your exam schedule when you have all the exam dated located in one place. A planner also can tell you if you are busy one week and not the other. 

I also recommend having a calendar hanging up in your room. This way you can easily look at it before leaving for class or when you get back from class to know everything that you need to do for that day. This also helps you stay organized without having to have your planner everywhere you go. 

Staying organized also in your room can keep you from losing things and it helps you know where books and material are. Staying organized will help you be less stressed because you will not lose papers or notes. Also it helps you be prepared for exams and assignments due. It will also help you be on time to class and to important meetings that you need to attend.