How to Survive College

I recently graduated with my associate degree, and now I’m moving onto my bachelor’s. I’ve developed an effective way to keep on top of things after almost three years in school thus far, and I’d like to share it with you. Here are my top five survival tips for college students:

Five Tips for Surviving College

1. Be Confident in Yourself

Many college students find coursework intimidating, and it is, really. High-level courses are challenging. But it’s important to approach classes with a growth mindset. Don’t think, This is way too hard, I’ll never learn these concepts or get an A! Think, I don’t know this now, but with hard work, I’ll succeed. When you expect to fail, you often will. So instead, expect to succeed.

2. Be Disciplined

It’s tempting to pick up the novel you’ve been dying to read or play an exciting new video game for a few minutes before starting homework. However, those few minutes soon turn into hours as you put off unsavory tasks. Go ahead and get your homework done before you do anything fun. This gives you a reason for finishing faster, thus increasing motivation and productivity.

3. Stay Organized

Buy yourself a planner and write to-do lists every day. Keeping track of deadlines and focusing on the timely completion of assignments is crucial for academic success. Plus, if you keep up with your work, it causes less stress.

4. Take Notes

Taking notes is tedious, but it’s helpful. When you copy down information, you retain it better. Also, you then have a database for easy reference. I like to use different colored pens for each class to maintain organized notes.

5. Remember Your Ultimate End Goal

At times, school gets overwhelming, and the temptation to quit looms like a malicious sunflower casting its shadow over you. Sometimes, you might start thinking, I don’t really need school; I could get a full-time career now and not worry about classes anymore. I’ve had those thoughts myself. In fact, I wanted to stop with my associate degree. Only my ultimate end goal kept me going; I want to work a high-end writing or legal job and never be in retail again. It would be hard to do that without getting my bachelor’s.

Cement your ultimate end goal in your mind—write it down, remind yourself of it daily, and keep working toward it.

Final Thoughts

College is tough, but it’s important. Don’t quit because of stress. Instead, develop efficiency and discipline and work toward your goals faithfully. It will be worth it in the end.