How To Make The Most of Your College Year

A lot of students are preparing for school right now, specifically, going to college!  It is a very exciting transition.  The whole summer before I started post secondary school was filled with a combination of emotions - excitement, nervous, anxious.  It was incredible.  Sometimes I would be completely ready to move on and other times I just didn't want to leave.

Through my experience starting at two very different post secondary schools, I have come up with ten tips on how to make the most of your college year, starting at the very beginning!

1. Meet everyone you can at the beginning of the school year. At this point in time, everyone is looking for new friends. There are very few first years who don't want to meet new people. You can usually tell that type right after you start talking to them anyway. But meet all sorts of different people. Don't just stick with the same types of people you hung out with in high school. In college, it's time to expand your horizons! Meet everyone and make sure to stay in contact with many of them.

2. Attend every class and do not fall behind. One of the biggest mistakes made in college is forgetting about the actual schoolwork. Sure, it's not that exciting. There are plenty of more fun things you can do instead of going to class. But the truth is, you need to pass. You should always be trying your best. Just because college is different than high school, you don't get in trouble for missing class, doesn't mean that you should miss class. Studies show that the students who attend class will get higher grades. Besides, if you go to class, that is a lot less time you have to waste trying to figure out the lectures by yourself!


3. Decorate and tidy your room. Before you move in, plan your room. Figure out the dimensions. Make a list of what you need to bring to college with you. Then make sure you have some room to decorate it. Buy a few cool decorations. If you have certain passions, use those to decorate your room. Some ideas: photos of you and your friends and family, famous athletes, celebrities from your favourite movies, pieces of art, maps, animal pictures, etc. There are endless ideas. Make it look comforting and inviting, not plain and boring. You are probably going to be doing your homework here and you may have some friends (or a significant other) visit, so you want to make it organized but cool looking! And keep it clean. You never know when you may have an unexpected guest. Make sure you can always make your room presentable in five minutes. You never know when you may need it!


4. Find a gym buddy and hit the gym a couple times per week. This is the time. You have always said you were going to start going to the gym, right? Well find someone else (or even a group of you) who have always said this. Then start going. You don't have to go for two hours every day. But start off by going a couple days every week for a half hour and try to make it up to an hour. Having people to go with gives you more incentive to go. And they will most certainly get on your back if you are not going to the gym.


5. Talk to your parents once or twice per week. You don't have to call them every single day and talk to them for an hour. That is not fun! But try to give them a call at least once a week, they will be very happy with that. Let them know how you're doing in school. Fill them in on some of the friends you have met and have been hanging out with. They might be interested in some events that you have been to. Also, try and send them a couple emails throughout the week. Just a quick email letting them know how your day went or something will make your parents very happy that they are still somewhat involved in your life. It is time to stop being so dependent on your parents but you need to maintain a good relationship with them!


6. Figure out your city's transit system. Figuring out the transit system is extremely important if you are planning to go anywhere besides your house and your school. Those are generally pretty easy. But you will probably need to go grocery shopping. You might want to go visit some friends. You might want to go out at night. You might want to go to a different part of the city just for an adventure. Not that many people have cars in college! So you should definitely figure out the transit system so that you do not always get lost (although getting lost can be fun). It can be scary for someone who is from a small town and has never had to use public transit before, but there are usually lots of city people around who are willing to help.


7. Don't get on the wrong side of your teachers. They are there to help you and to teach you. Listen to them and take their ideas. If you have a question, ask for help. Do not make them dislike you. Then it will be terrible going to their classes each day. It will likely lower your mark because they will be much more critical of your work. It will not make your classes enjoyable. Try to stay on the good side of all your teachers by attending class, handing in your assignments on time, and staying out of trouble in class.


8. Befriend some of the “smarter” students in the class. Obviously, it's good to have some smart friends for school. But keep in mind that smart students will want people who will work hard on projects with them. Even if you aren't a natural genius, as long as you will work hard, then they won't have a problem working with you and helping you. That can always be used as an advantage. But smart people are often social as well. Many people are intimidated by smarter students and don't always try to meet them. They can be just as outgoing, fun, and friendly as the average student. Being friends with this type can benefit you in many ways.


9. Eat healthy. You want to feel good and look good in college. If you are stuck with a meal plan and eating in the cafeteria, make sure you are eating proper food and not all junk food. Save the junk food for when you are just hanging out with friends. Grabbing a slice of pizza with friends is okay. But try to have real meals on regular days. If you are able to make your own food, learn to cook! It is very important! You do not want to be buying fast food all the time.


10. Get involved in events. Go to orientation or frosh week and then join a couple clubs or activities. This is the best way to meet people. Getting involved. People who join clubs generally want to meet people as well. It will give you more to do during the day or in the afternoons or evenings. It'll also help with your resume when you graduate and are looking for jobs (it will show that you can handle doing multiple things at once). Getting involved is a great way to have fun and meet people.


These tips will make your first year a very fun, successful, and memorable year!  Keep checking back for more college stories and tips.