Many of my friends have gone to college, and they all come back with magnificent stories of how it’s so different from high school and all the freedom you have and what you can do with it. The ones who made it through all four years were generous enough to give me tips on what I must do to survive college. The three most important tips are to choose your professors wisely, make sure not to slack off around the end of the semester, and the most important, prioritize yourself, in other words, school first, but leave some time to have fun. If not, you might overload and blow up.
When choosing your professors, make sure you see how he or she is rated and if you are compatible with their teaching methods. The way you can find out is by asking other people who might have had had them before or by going online and checking out Rate My Professor. When signing up for classes, Rate My Professor becomes your best friend; it tells you what other people think of the professor, how they teach, and if they assign a lot of homework. This is most valuable information. It can make you or break you when talking about your GPA.
Every student goes through senioritis before going to college. It’s normal. When in college, you get the same feeling every time you are nearby a final exam or the end of the semester. You start experiencing laziness, sleepiness, boredom, procrastination, and a low level of melancholy. The only thing I can tell you to do is push through it. Failing is not an option. An IP (in progress) might be an option, but don’t fail the course. I don’t encourage you to slack off, especially if you have a flex course. One way to describe a flex course is that you are literally fed homework for the whole semester-for lunch, dinner, and sometimes breakfast. If you know you are lazy and you value your life, avoid flex courses.
Prioritizing your life is the most important thing you can do, so buy yourself a small- or medium-sized year planner and write down when your test, homework or major assignments are due. This helps you get your things in check. It also allows you to plan ahead or finish your homework for next week, allowing you to have free time. Making free time is also important. It allows you to relieve stress and get your head back on track after being bombarded with homework.
Through all of my friends’ experience and tips, I have had an easy-going college life. All of the tips they encouraged me to use helped me not to be overstressed and unprepared for what was coming. Rate My Professor truly became my best friend. All of my friends’ encouragement to stick through it and tough it out helped me pass my classes. Prioritizing myself helped me prepare for all of my major projects and final exams. I highly encourage students to try these tips and find a way to make them a part of their daily lives.
Student Success in College 