Back to College Tips
If you're livin' the college life and headed back to University soon, you might be scrambling to pack or worried about the ridiculously difficult classes on your schedule for the Fall. Maybe you're an incoming Freshman (I could do an entire separate post on that). Regardless, if you're packing your bags and heading back to the grind, here are my tips!
Get your sh*t together
You've been enjoying your summer, so you've probably been drinking, eating ridiculous amounts of fast food, and waking up at noon. Of course you'll still be partying and enjoying your semester, but balance is the key. Now's the time to start waking up a little earlier, set your alarm, and actually get up and train your body. It will make everything easier if you have the much dreaded 8AM class. News flash: You might have to get up this early for the rest of your life with your job.
You've been enjoying your summer, so you've probably been drinking, eating ridiculous amounts of fast food, and waking up at noon. Of course you'll still be partying and enjoying your semester, but balance is the key. Now's the time to start waking up a little earlier, set your alarm, and actually get up and train your body. It will make everything easier if you have the much dreaded 8AM class. News flash: You might have to get up this early for the rest of your life with your job.
Get yourself a planner
I don't understand how people make it through college or parts of life in general without a planner. A good old fashioned, paper to pen planner. It makes the world of difference when you can see your assignments, appointments, plans, etc. laid out by day on paper. I always operated better in school with a physical paper planner. Here are some of my favorites that are so cute and won't break the bank. I'm in love with this marble notebook and it's only $7 (I'm using a similar one from Home Goods)!
Start Networking
I can't stress the importance of this, and I'm only saying that because I didn't take full advantage. Join clubs that you're interested in, get involved, pick your professors' brains if they work(ed) in a field you're interested in. Play the sports you like, join intermural leagues...use the resources that are at your fingertips! Seriously, take full advantage of them because you can.
Get on a schedule
Reiterating the above, start setting an alarm. Train your body to get up a little earlier and give yourself a chance to warm up. Start incorporating workouts back into your schedule if you've fallen off of the summer body train. Keep enjoying your summer and sleep in when you can, but don't sleep all day err'day. Get yourself on some sort of a schedule.
Subscribe to internship/job notifications
If I could go back in time and give some advice to myself, it would have been to subscribe to job notifications and internship alerts, and to start early. If you're not familiar with Indeed, start familiarizing yourself! They post tons of great internship opportunities in every city. I see them all the time. Whether you're wanting to work in PR, Event Management, Social Media, Graphic Design, etc. there is something for you. Just search for the industry or job title you're interested in, type it in with the location, type your email in on the right where it says "Get new jobs for this search by email". You'll get an email every day (or depending on your selection) with jobs that match your interests!
Stay humble
Don't get it twisted. When things get stressful, you have a not so exciting professor, you had a bad day, whatever it may be, remember that you are damn lucky to be able to get an education and that someone would give anything to be in your shoes. Work hard and make the best out of the time and money you're putting towards your school!