How to survive your first semester in college

When you enter the college, the initial months often seem challenging when you try to adjust among the new people. For students, who have moved away from home for the first time, this change might be critical. However, there is always a guide to survival for college students. Below is a list of the most important pointers that will enable you to survive your first semester in college:

Get organized

Always keep in mind that the college is different from high school thus, you are required to be proactive in finishing assignments and submitting them on deadlines. Plan your assignments so that you have ample time to finish them without getting stressed at the last minute. It is also great to have a timetable with you so that you know which tasks require more time. This timetable will also allow you to track your progress of each task scheduled for the day.

Develop relationships

In your college years, it is important to befriend your batchmates and seniors, but it is also crucial to develop a good rapport with your professors. Going to visit the professors after their office hours can help you develop better understanding of subjects and even get recommendation letters to pursue internship opportunities in future. When you are in a newer place, it is crucial to connect with people with whom you can emotionally connect with and trust them.

Get involved

Participating in extra-curricular activities can enable you to cope up with homesickness because you get opportunities to interact with people and make new friends. If you join activity clubs, you can also enhance your time-management and leadership skills.

Strike a balance

When you enter college, committing to social activities happening around the campus appear to be easy, however, as the time passes, with academics it becomes challenging to maintain a balance between the two. Thus, you must plan effectively to know how to juggle between these and have your priorities sorted so that that neither academics not your social life gets affected.

Speak to you counsellor

If you are feeling lost and anxious in your first semester, you must have a conversation with your counsellor who can help you seek the best possible solution. Many universities and colleges also have online help centers where you can speak with trained advisers who can answer your queries related to college. There are also platforms and discussion forums to interact and exchange ideas.

College years are meant to be packed with learnings, joy and excitement. Therefore, there is no need to get scared and worried about how college is going to be. The decisions you take when you join college are extremely vital and shape up your journey for the remaining years of college. The key lies in making use of the opportunities that come your way and interact to grow your network. So, do not be scared of the new journey that awaits you because with these tips, you can easily maneuver your way around the first semester in college.