Making the Jump to College

Whether you are entering college right out of high school or you have decided to go to college as a mature student, you will find that there are many different things that you need to know. College is often very strange and even a little bit frightening to people who have never been there, but the truth of the matter is that you are looking at just one more challenge to be conquered. Remember that hundreds of thousands of people go to college and graduate well, and that you definitely have what it takes to get involved and to succeed.

When you are headed to college, remember that one of the most important things that you need to be able to do is to manage your time. Your time is going to be precious and you are going to find that there are many things that you want to do. There is an old joke that says that there are three things that you can do in any given semester: you can work, you can party, or you can sleep. From those three, you need to pick two! This is an exaggeration, but it is not much of one. Take a moment to consider how you are going to allot your time between schooling, working, and socializing.

Another thing that you are going to need to concern yourself with when you go to college is how well you can take care of your body. One thing that a lot of people lose sight of is how much they have to take care of their bodies when they are under stress. For example, do you find that when you are busy you feel worse? When you feel tired and run down the quality of your work can take a sharp dive. Eating well is something that you need to take care of; don't just order pizza four nights out of the week because it is convenient. There are so many different things that you can do to stay fit on a college campus, so take advantage of them.



Remember that you should write everything down. No matter what tests you have or what papers you have, take the time to consider how you can get them turned in. This is something that can make all the difference when push comes to shove and midterms or finals are on the horizon. It is far too easy to get wrapped up with one project and to forget that there are others that are on the board as well. When your professor gives you a syllabus, remember to keep it in a safe place. This will let you figure out what you need to do and when and if you look over your syllabus as a whole at the start of the year, you will be able to figure out how the end of your semester is going to go.

The transition to a college situation is not an easy one, but it is one that is handled well by many people. See what you can do to make sure that it goes smoothly for you!