College is a stressful time for almost everyone, especially during the mid-period. Even though I’m only a Sophomore and haven’t experienced “senioritis” and actually still consider myself a kid at heart, I think I’ve been at Greenville University long enough to provide some helpful tips to set yourself on a path for a successful college year.
Dedicate time to studying or practicing what you want to do with your life. First thing’s first, it’s important to find a college that meets your needs. GU happened to be the place for me because it provides everything I want to study and an environment that can help grow my faith. Even if all or most of your classes currently consist of general education requirements, still find time to do what you think you want most out of college. If you’re not sure what you want to do yet and remain as “undecided” or constantly switch majors/minors, focus on the gifts you’ve been given and what brings you joy. What sets your heart on fire is probably what God wants you to spend your time doing.
Source: Shelbi Fisher
Surround yourself with people who encourage you. Proverbs 13:20 says: “Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.” College is hard enough already, so you need all the support you can get. There are many types of people in this world, and some just aren’t friend-worthy. Along with this, learn to let go of the ones who have let go of you.
Develop a study plan and stick to it. The main reason you’re at college is probably to build yourself an education that will earn you a degree. Since there will be many homework assignments and tests/quizzes to prepare for, it’s helpful to clearly lay out goals for each day and to keep a calendar of all your assignment’s due dates. When you start with looking at your syllabus and entering due dates, you can see how to use your time wisely. College students find out pretty quickly that there’s just not enough time in the day, so also keep in mind that you can only do so much. Don’t overdo this plan, but make it healthy for you.
Source: Shelbi Fisher
Dedicate time to studying or practicing what you want to do with your life. First thing’s first, it’s important to find a college that meets your needs. GU happened to be the place for me because it provides everything I want to study and an environment that can help grow my faith. Even if all or most of your classes currently consist of general education requirements, still find time to do what you think you want most out of college. If you’re not sure what you want to do yet and remain as “undecided” or constantly switch majors/minors, focus on the gifts you’ve been given and what brings you joy. What sets your heart on fire is probably what God wants you to spend your time doing.
If you have a choice in where you live on campus, make sure it’s a good one. Many places house many residents, and this may or may not be beneficial for you. You can find a good community within these halls, or you can find that it’s too distracting for you when it comes to finding a quiet, secluded place to study. On-campus houses and apartments usually cost more than a typical residence hall, but if you can afford it and believe it’ll be more beneficial to your living experience, I would suggest going for it. If you don’t have a choice in where you live and wish you did, try to use another space (like a library or another educational building) to use for studying and your dorm room only for activities like sleeping and unwinding for the night.
Stay joyful. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Remember that there is a clear difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is only temporary and is swept away easily when life gets tough. Joy is grounded in God and, with faith, doesn’t disappear. If your hope in Christ doesn’t disappear, your joy in Him won’t either. This is something that can only be granted by Him, so it’s always a great idea to pray for anything and everything you need. This is the step that’ll make you most successful in college and in life.
