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How can I succeed in college because I'm planning on going
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April’s Answer
Succeeding in college has a lot to do with preparation. That’s one tip. Preparation before going in, preparing while you’re in it, and preparing before you leave it.
Before entering, you can become better prepared by thinking about what career you want and researching what qualifications that career takes. If you’re unsure of what career you’re interested in yet, explore your interests and research what careers you can make out of them. Research different colleges so that you can see what their benefits are and how that relates to you. This will help you to choose the school that best fits your needs.
While you’re in school, be prepared to have some long days, but know that it’s an investment that will pay off. As you are discovering what your career qualifications will be, you can take courses that will give you that knowledge. You can explore internships or volunteer opportunities that give you hands-on experience before graduating. It’s also great to have a mentor who can guide you with professional and personal development along your journey. Mentors can be found in school or community organizations, at work, or even in your professors.
As you are nearing graduation and the start of your career, start preparing for that. Visit your college’s career center (hopefully they have one) and get assistance on building a professional resume and cover letter. Sign up for mock interviews so that you can practice speaking and answering questions. Speak to people who may be references for jobs (mentors, supervisors, professors, etc) to make sure they are willing to speak well on your behalf.
Of course nothing can be perfect and there’s no way to prepare for every single situation that may arise. Don’t be hard on yourself. Give yourself time to learn the new environment and adjust to being a college student. Give yourself grace while you are learning more about yourself. Overall, be intentional with your college encounter. Appreciate the experience, but also pay attention to how you can use it to your advantage.
Before entering, you can become better prepared by thinking about what career you want and researching what qualifications that career takes. If you’re unsure of what career you’re interested in yet, explore your interests and research what careers you can make out of them. Research different colleges so that you can see what their benefits are and how that relates to you. This will help you to choose the school that best fits your needs.
While you’re in school, be prepared to have some long days, but know that it’s an investment that will pay off. As you are discovering what your career qualifications will be, you can take courses that will give you that knowledge. You can explore internships or volunteer opportunities that give you hands-on experience before graduating. It’s also great to have a mentor who can guide you with professional and personal development along your journey. Mentors can be found in school or community organizations, at work, or even in your professors.
As you are nearing graduation and the start of your career, start preparing for that. Visit your college’s career center (hopefully they have one) and get assistance on building a professional resume and cover letter. Sign up for mock interviews so that you can practice speaking and answering questions. Speak to people who may be references for jobs (mentors, supervisors, professors, etc) to make sure they are willing to speak well on your behalf.
Of course nothing can be perfect and there’s no way to prepare for every single situation that may arise. Don’t be hard on yourself. Give yourself time to learn the new environment and adjust to being a college student. Give yourself grace while you are learning more about yourself. Overall, be intentional with your college encounter. Appreciate the experience, but also pay attention to how you can use it to your advantage.
Updated
Brian’s Answer
I can't state this enough, GO TO CLASS! That is literally 60% of being successful in college, just staying motivated to go to class and do the work. You'll find a lot of distractions around you likely and you should enjoy college, but never develop bad habits like not showing up to class every single day.
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Priya’s Answer
Hi Jabari,
Do your best to manage your time efficiently, get to your classes and do your best! Your college may also offer many workshops on how to build up skills to succeed, so you can pick one that you may be struggling in. Give yourself time for rest, relaxation and studying! Take advantage of any resources that can help you along the way, like office hours, or studying with others. Do not be afraid to ask for help or extensions if absolutely needed. If some way of studying or learning is not working for you, try a different way! Wishing you the best!
Do your best to manage your time efficiently, get to your classes and do your best! Your college may also offer many workshops on how to build up skills to succeed, so you can pick one that you may be struggling in. Give yourself time for rest, relaxation and studying! Take advantage of any resources that can help you along the way, like office hours, or studying with others. Do not be afraid to ask for help or extensions if absolutely needed. If some way of studying or learning is not working for you, try a different way! Wishing you the best!
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Angela’s Answer
Hello! To succeed in college, I think you first need to recognize how great it is that you got to that point. It is such a special feeling when you apply to and get into college. If and when you get accepted and make your choice, remember that there will be distractions throughout your time there but you have to help yourself stay focused by surrounding yourself with great people, associating yourself with groups that you can relate to and making goals. Create a schedule and make and stick to a budget. Use the resources available to you. Universities and colleges have Academic Advisors - use them! Professors are always open to becoming a mentor - build relationships with a few!
If you find yourself hitting roadblocks or getting into bad habits, reach out to your friends and family. Be honest and ask for help. These can be the years of your life, so make that happen!
If you find yourself hitting roadblocks or getting into bad habits, reach out to your friends and family. Be honest and ask for help. These can be the years of your life, so make that happen!
Updated
Rebecca’s Answer
College life is one of my most enjoyable moments in my life. You should enjoy these few years time.
Firstly, I am supposed to you have choose your most favourable subjects be your major and minor. You may have to attend lectures and tutorials from time to time. You may have many project to work on with other classmates or yourself. On the other hand, you also need to do revision from time to time. You need to do good time management.
Other than studying, there are plenty of extra curriculum activities. You could join some societies that you are interest of. When you moving on to senior years, you can participate the organisation committee. It is very valuable experience for you to gain experience to organize different activities and establish network with different students, professors, etc. in the university.
Some people may work on some part time jobs during the college years at well.
Hope you have a good time in college life and enjoy! Good Luck!
Firstly, I am supposed to you have choose your most favourable subjects be your major and minor. You may have to attend lectures and tutorials from time to time. You may have many project to work on with other classmates or yourself. On the other hand, you also need to do revision from time to time. You need to do good time management.
Other than studying, there are plenty of extra curriculum activities. You could join some societies that you are interest of. When you moving on to senior years, you can participate the organisation committee. It is very valuable experience for you to gain experience to organize different activities and establish network with different students, professors, etc. in the university.
Some people may work on some part time jobs during the college years at well.
Hope you have a good time in college life and enjoy! Good Luck!
Updated
Aditya’s Answer
College life is one such experience which teaches you a lot of things, not just academically but those things which are very important in life. It teaches you to be responsible and accountable for all that you do. The most important thing to do, and not just in college, but in life is to enjoy everything you do, give your 100% in everything you do, face the challenges thrown at you courageously and build a great network of friends.
1) Be attentive in the classroom. If you are, then most of your learning will be completed in the classroom itself.
2) Explore what interests you. If you like technology, read about the latest happenings in technology. If you like to write code, learn new programming languages in the internet as there are lot of online learning platforms for it.
3) Enjoy what you learn.
4) Build a good bond with your professors and friends.
5) Don't shy away from asking questions.
6) Complete your college assignments on time.
7) Apply the theoretical knowledge gained from classrooms practically.
8) Join different student organizations which you think will be beneficial for your career. Student organizations like technology club or finance club etc will give you a platform to form a good network of friends and apply the theoretical knowledge which you will gain in the classrooms in real time.
Last but not the least, HAVE FUN! Go out, explore, go on trips with your friends as college life is that time of your life, where few years down the line, you will have a great story to tell.
ALL THE BEST!
1) Be attentive in the classroom. If you are, then most of your learning will be completed in the classroom itself.
2) Explore what interests you. If you like technology, read about the latest happenings in technology. If you like to write code, learn new programming languages in the internet as there are lot of online learning platforms for it.
3) Enjoy what you learn.
4) Build a good bond with your professors and friends.
5) Don't shy away from asking questions.
6) Complete your college assignments on time.
7) Apply the theoretical knowledge gained from classrooms practically.
8) Join different student organizations which you think will be beneficial for your career. Student organizations like technology club or finance club etc will give you a platform to form a good network of friends and apply the theoretical knowledge which you will gain in the classrooms in real time.
Last but not the least, HAVE FUN! Go out, explore, go on trips with your friends as college life is that time of your life, where few years down the line, you will have a great story to tell.
ALL THE BEST!
Updated
Yolanda’s Answer
Hi Jabari!
Attending College is an awesome experience and can be a great adventure in your life. Like many of the other posters here have said, Planning, Preparation, and Flexibility are key components of your success! You've taken the first step, acknowledging your intent for what you want to do. The wonderful thing about college is that you can set your intent and once you get there, it will likely change, so be flexible with yourself.
1. Get familiar with your campus, your professors, the cafe workers, everyone - You will need a support system away from home.
2. Time Management - If you've never had to manage your time, prepare now. Get yourself a planner, calendar, or utilize your tools in your smartphone to carve out time for your day and stick to it. Not only will the routine help, but it will sharpen your discipline and help you to get ahead.
3. Only you know how you learn best! Enroll in classes that meet your needs, if you are a night-owl, sign up for afternoon courses and not morning classes. Expose yourself to courses that are outside of your field of study.
4. Study and do go to class - Not only will you gain valuable knowledge, but you will also be able to network and forge long-lasting personal and professional friendships.
5. Flexibility - Grant yourself flexibility. You will change your mind a lot as you gain more discovery into life.
6. Network, Network, Network - I cannot stress this enough, meet people! Join organizations, join significant causes, volunteer, and give back.
7. Opportunities - Take advantage of opportunities, travel abroad, etc.
8. Have Fun and Enjoy!!!
Attending College is an awesome experience and can be a great adventure in your life. Like many of the other posters here have said, Planning, Preparation, and Flexibility are key components of your success! You've taken the first step, acknowledging your intent for what you want to do. The wonderful thing about college is that you can set your intent and once you get there, it will likely change, so be flexible with yourself.
1. Get familiar with your campus, your professors, the cafe workers, everyone - You will need a support system away from home.
2. Time Management - If you've never had to manage your time, prepare now. Get yourself a planner, calendar, or utilize your tools in your smartphone to carve out time for your day and stick to it. Not only will the routine help, but it will sharpen your discipline and help you to get ahead.
3. Only you know how you learn best! Enroll in classes that meet your needs, if you are a night-owl, sign up for afternoon courses and not morning classes. Expose yourself to courses that are outside of your field of study.
4. Study and do go to class - Not only will you gain valuable knowledge, but you will also be able to network and forge long-lasting personal and professional friendships.
5. Flexibility - Grant yourself flexibility. You will change your mind a lot as you gain more discovery into life.
6. Network, Network, Network - I cannot stress this enough, meet people! Join organizations, join significant causes, volunteer, and give back.
7. Opportunities - Take advantage of opportunities, travel abroad, etc.
8. Have Fun and Enjoy!!!
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Eleanor’s Answer
I think the first thing you need to determine is what does success look like to you. Is it graduating suma cum laude? Is it landing a dream job right out of college? Is it winning a conference championship for a sport?
This is similar to understanding why you want to go to college, but I think it gets more to the end goal here. "Begin with the end in mind" has always been helpful to me when starting out on a major project or endeavor.
Once you know what you actually want to get out of college, you can start tailoring your action plan to make it happen. If your goal is to land the dream job right out of college, you'll need to put a priority on networking and internships throughout college.
I'm absolutely not advocating for skipping classes to be clear, but I did have the graudate-with-a-4.0 goal for my second degree. There are some things I would do differently on that. It meant that I was less likely to take risks on classes I took, and I sacrificed a lot of personal time to spend more time studying. Ultimately - literally no one cares that I had a 4.0 except me. Don't let school get in the way of you getting a good education.
This is similar to understanding why you want to go to college, but I think it gets more to the end goal here. "Begin with the end in mind" has always been helpful to me when starting out on a major project or endeavor.
Once you know what you actually want to get out of college, you can start tailoring your action plan to make it happen. If your goal is to land the dream job right out of college, you'll need to put a priority on networking and internships throughout college.
I'm absolutely not advocating for skipping classes to be clear, but I did have the graudate-with-a-4.0 goal for my second degree. There are some things I would do differently on that. It meant that I was less likely to take risks on classes I took, and I sacrificed a lot of personal time to spend more time studying. Ultimately - literally no one cares that I had a 4.0 except me. Don't let school get in the way of you getting a good education.
Updated
Felicia’s Answer
This is a great question. I believe the best way to succeed is to be prepared. Prepare by doing research , intensive research about the schools that will give you the courses needed for your desired field of study . Prepare in school by being ontop of everything. College can be very intense and so you have to be prepared for anything to happen. And start getting into the habit of planning , writing down important dates ( paper due, test etc. even schedule study time).
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Lisa Bond’s Answer
Hi Jabari,
There are several areas I've found help with success in college: time management, knowing yourself, focus and be active.
1. Time management - establish a structure for yourself. For example, study, read for your classes every day, get your homework done during the week, so you can enjoy the weekends.
2. Know yourself and what works for you - Are you a morning person? Is it best for you to take classes in the morning or afternoon or evening? Is it best to try to schedule your classes close together so you won't have large breaks in time. What's your learning style? Auditory learner? Visual learner? Are you a group learner? Or individual? Take this assessment to help you know your learning style -- https://www.how-to-study.com/learning-style-assessment/
3. Focus - What's your end goal? Getting a degree? A good-paying position? Graduate school? You have to know why you're there, what you hope to gain so that you can keep yourself on track. You'll meet people who will try to steer you off track, you have to be self-aware, self-confident enough to say, "No, I won't go out today." Or "No, I won't do this because it doesn't help me attain my goal."
4. Be active - Join organizations that help you with your career goals.
Good luck!
There are several areas I've found help with success in college: time management, knowing yourself, focus and be active.
1. Time management - establish a structure for yourself. For example, study, read for your classes every day, get your homework done during the week, so you can enjoy the weekends.
2. Know yourself and what works for you - Are you a morning person? Is it best for you to take classes in the morning or afternoon or evening? Is it best to try to schedule your classes close together so you won't have large breaks in time. What's your learning style? Auditory learner? Visual learner? Are you a group learner? Or individual? Take this assessment to help you know your learning style -- https://www.how-to-study.com/learning-style-assessment/
3. Focus - What's your end goal? Getting a degree? A good-paying position? Graduate school? You have to know why you're there, what you hope to gain so that you can keep yourself on track. You'll meet people who will try to steer you off track, you have to be self-aware, self-confident enough to say, "No, I won't go out today." Or "No, I won't do this because it doesn't help me attain my goal."
4. Be active - Join organizations that help you with your career goals.
Good luck!
Updated
Greg’s Answer
Start by knowing your "why." Why are you going to college? Knowing your why will help you do all the other things you need to do, all or most of which are addressed in the other answers. Like with most things in life, your chances of being successful are greatly increased if you are doing them for good reasons, enjoying what you're doing, applying yourself and taking it seriously. As others have said, attending classes and paying attention in classes is important. Create good habits, like showing up to classes a few minutes early and sitting in or near the front. Speak up when the professor is seeking participation. Set up good, disciplined study habits. Study when it's time to study, go to class when it's time to go to class, eat and sleep when it's time and play/socialize when it's time to do that. Balance and discipline. If possible, get to know your professors. If they offer office hours, visit them once in a while and go prepared to ask them some questions about the material, various majors, how you should best prepare to succeed in their class, general advice.
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Natalie’s Answer
Attending class is the biggest thing. If you go to class, get there on time, and pay attention you'll have a much easier time with a class. It's also important to have good time management and set aside enough time to study and work on assignments for your classes. College professors don't remind you of due dates for assignments as much as high school teachers do, so it's your job to stay on top of that and keep track of when things are due. I use Google Keep to stay organized. You can make little sticky notes with to-do lists on them. I have one for each of my classes and I check off assignments that are due as I finish them. It's a really helpful app. Take advantage of any resources your college offers. These things are usually included with your tuition and can greatly benefit you.
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Claudia’s Answer
Make sure you actually go to class - skipping one or two is fine if you're sick or need a mental health day, but going to classes is where you will get the most helpful information. Make sure you are completing the assignments, and take advantage of any supplemental reading/work or extra credit. Prepare for exams! Even if you got through high school without needing to study, college will be different, and you will need to study. Figure out what study method works best for you, and once you are in college make sure you schedule out time to study. Same thing with writing papers or doing projects - set a timeline that allows you to work on it without rushing at the end.
Also make sure that you are building relationships with people - making friends, connecting with your professors, making contacts at career fairs, etc. This will help you when you go to apply for internships and after college when you are looking for a job.
Also make sure that you are building relationships with people - making friends, connecting with your professors, making contacts at career fairs, etc. This will help you when you go to apply for internships and after college when you are looking for a job.
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Joanna’s Answer
Here are some tips I have for you to better prepare yourself for a smooth(er) transition to college!
1. Stay organized
It's easy to lose track of assignment due dates and exam days since you have multiple different classes. Most professors are busy with their other classes, projects, or research, so they don't have the time to remind you of every upcoming due date. As such, be sure to stay organized by keeping track of all the assignments and their due dates and exam days. This can first be accomplished by reading the class syllabus in advance or within the first few days since the start of classes. Professors generally upload their syllabus a few days prior to the beginning of term or on the first day of their class. These documents contain a lot of information about assignments, quizzes, due dates, late submissions, and exam days/times.
Here is a list of my favorite apps I used at UCLA to track of all these:
- GOOGLE CALENDAR: After my professors uploaded the syllabus, I marked down all my exam dates (and colored the event red) in this app. It was super helpful since I could request for exam day changes in advance (if I had conflicting exam days/times) and formulate a study plan weeks before. This was especially helpful for classes where I had back to back exams. (I also used this app to keep track of my classes since I could never remember my class schedule for some reason)
- GOOGLE SHEETS: After finishing with google calendar, I used Google sheets to list out all my assignments, quizzes, projects, extra credit, and exams and their deadlines. This is a very tedious project but after rearranging the columns by upcoming dates, I was able to keep track of when all my assignments were due and check them off when i submitted them. It was handy having this since I could add, remove, or edit things as the quarter passed on.
Google apps were the easiest for me since I had unlimited storage and I could access it from any device. For those without access to devices/technology, I would recommend the following:
- a sturdy notebook with monthly calendars
- different colored pens/pencils/highlighters
- sticky notes
2. Figure out your learning style
Studying in high school is much different than studying in college. Many professors don’t care if you pass or fail their class, unlike with high school teachers who tend to baby their students more. Thus, it is important you know how you best learn! Are you a visual learner? Do you learn best through solving problems or explaining to others? Do you need to read the textbook? It is important you figure it out so that you’re able to comprehend the material and remember it long-term.
3. Attend Office Hours
Unless you’re at a fancy private college where the class sizes are small, most classes consists of more than 100 students. Some of my classes at ucla had 300-400 students. With such large class sizes, professors cannot dedicate much time to answering all questions during class. So if you have questions or you’re still not clear on a topic, attend your TA and professors’s office hours! It is a great way to get more individual help, as well as getting to know your professors/TAs outside of the classroom.
3. Utilize the Pomodoro Technique
For some people cramming last minute helps, but according to research, spaced learning is much more effective than massed learning. Massed learning is when you cram in all the information within a few hours/days prior to the test, whereas for spaced learning, you study days in advance. The Pomodoro technique utilizes the spaced learning technique. Essentially you focus on one subject for 25 mins, then take a 5 min break. At the end of the break, you repeat the steps but you focus on a different subject each time. Such studying has been shown to increase retention rates in most individuals.
Some other effective Studying Techniques
- Practice Problems
- Practice Exams
- Explaining concepts or answers to your classmates
- Repetition
- Breaks
4. Have fun!
In addition to all the studying, you need to take some breaks and have fun with classmates/friends/clubs! College can definitely mess with your mental health, and your health should ALWAYS be prioritized. A TedTalk once mentioned students who show the best performance in class were those who first scheduled events/trips/outings first in their calendars before making a study schedule. Declining mental health may take a toll on your studying so be sure to schedule some outings and/or breaks in your calendar!
Keep in mind it is different for everyone, but these were how I stayed on top of everything in college. There are so many other things you can do to be successful in college, but you have a lot of time to figure everything out! You best learn through experience! Best of luck and hope this helped! :)
1. Stay organized
It's easy to lose track of assignment due dates and exam days since you have multiple different classes. Most professors are busy with their other classes, projects, or research, so they don't have the time to remind you of every upcoming due date. As such, be sure to stay organized by keeping track of all the assignments and their due dates and exam days. This can first be accomplished by reading the class syllabus in advance or within the first few days since the start of classes. Professors generally upload their syllabus a few days prior to the beginning of term or on the first day of their class. These documents contain a lot of information about assignments, quizzes, due dates, late submissions, and exam days/times.
Here is a list of my favorite apps I used at UCLA to track of all these:
- GOOGLE CALENDAR: After my professors uploaded the syllabus, I marked down all my exam dates (and colored the event red) in this app. It was super helpful since I could request for exam day changes in advance (if I had conflicting exam days/times) and formulate a study plan weeks before. This was especially helpful for classes where I had back to back exams. (I also used this app to keep track of my classes since I could never remember my class schedule for some reason)
- GOOGLE SHEETS: After finishing with google calendar, I used Google sheets to list out all my assignments, quizzes, projects, extra credit, and exams and their deadlines. This is a very tedious project but after rearranging the columns by upcoming dates, I was able to keep track of when all my assignments were due and check them off when i submitted them. It was handy having this since I could add, remove, or edit things as the quarter passed on.
Google apps were the easiest for me since I had unlimited storage and I could access it from any device. For those without access to devices/technology, I would recommend the following:
- a sturdy notebook with monthly calendars
- different colored pens/pencils/highlighters
- sticky notes
2. Figure out your learning style
Studying in high school is much different than studying in college. Many professors don’t care if you pass or fail their class, unlike with high school teachers who tend to baby their students more. Thus, it is important you know how you best learn! Are you a visual learner? Do you learn best through solving problems or explaining to others? Do you need to read the textbook? It is important you figure it out so that you’re able to comprehend the material and remember it long-term.
3. Attend Office Hours
Unless you’re at a fancy private college where the class sizes are small, most classes consists of more than 100 students. Some of my classes at ucla had 300-400 students. With such large class sizes, professors cannot dedicate much time to answering all questions during class. So if you have questions or you’re still not clear on a topic, attend your TA and professors’s office hours! It is a great way to get more individual help, as well as getting to know your professors/TAs outside of the classroom.
3. Utilize the Pomodoro Technique
For some people cramming last minute helps, but according to research, spaced learning is much more effective than massed learning. Massed learning is when you cram in all the information within a few hours/days prior to the test, whereas for spaced learning, you study days in advance. The Pomodoro technique utilizes the spaced learning technique. Essentially you focus on one subject for 25 mins, then take a 5 min break. At the end of the break, you repeat the steps but you focus on a different subject each time. Such studying has been shown to increase retention rates in most individuals.
Some other effective Studying Techniques
- Practice Problems
- Practice Exams
- Explaining concepts or answers to your classmates
- Repetition
- Breaks
4. Have fun!
In addition to all the studying, you need to take some breaks and have fun with classmates/friends/clubs! College can definitely mess with your mental health, and your health should ALWAYS be prioritized. A TedTalk once mentioned students who show the best performance in class were those who first scheduled events/trips/outings first in their calendars before making a study schedule. Declining mental health may take a toll on your studying so be sure to schedule some outings and/or breaks in your calendar!
Keep in mind it is different for everyone, but these were how I stayed on top of everything in college. There are so many other things you can do to be successful in college, but you have a lot of time to figure everything out! You best learn through experience! Best of luck and hope this helped! :)
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Karuna’s Answer
On a basic level, get involved day one in some community you're interested in. I'd say join two student organizations, one for social connections and fun, and the other based on the career you want to have when you graduate. Maybe that's a professional career-counseling or networking club and an intramural team for a sport you like to play. Get to know juniors and seniors in your major who are getting ready to advance in their career, and then try and do well in classes while figuring out if it's actually want you enjoy. Don't be afraid to change your major (nobody really knows what their career will look like when they're 17 or 18 with no experience), and don't be afraid to ask for help, be it from classmates, professors, career coaches, etc. Also depending on your degree figure out what aspect of college is most important. Maybe you want to go to med school and need a high GPA. Maybe you want to go into the workforce and need extracurricular experiences like internships and leadership opportunities, and a network of peers. Maybe you're going into the arts and need a growing portfolio. It's really quite different for everyone so tl;dr I'd say get involved on campus early, meet people doing what you want to do, and go to class / find good ways to study without schoolwork taking over your daily life.
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Emily’s Answer
Hi,
College is it's own journey and everyone has their own obstacles they go through. Personally, as I am a senior, I have realized that it's important to be punctual, and work on time management. It's important to give yourself enough time to finish your assignments rather than procrastinating. It's also crucial to look for a job or internship in your field that you're majoring in for more experience. Most jobs coming out of college look for students who have experience rather than just the degree.
College is it's own journey and everyone has their own obstacles they go through. Personally, as I am a senior, I have realized that it's important to be punctual, and work on time management. It's important to give yourself enough time to finish your assignments rather than procrastinating. It's also crucial to look for a job or internship in your field that you're majoring in for more experience. Most jobs coming out of college look for students who have experience rather than just the degree.