In three weeks, I start my senior year in college pursuing a BS in Economics.
Sometimes, I feel like I blinked and three years flew by.
Three years ago, I was a 17-year-old college freshman, trying to find my place in a campus of 40,000 students and struggling to understand myself.
I’ve pulled my fair share of all-nighters before an exam, nursed a broken heart, made a handful of friends who became family, spent a winter break studying abroad and chasing sunsets in the Alps, and learned to embrace who I am.
Whether you’re a college freshman or a long time student in need of some direction, here are 10 things I learned as a college senior to ensure success in college.
1. Prepare for four years of deep, intense focus.
Academic and professional success require hard work, self-discipline, and focus.
Time management is one of the biggest challenges in college life.
Procrastination is a habit. The good news is: you can break bad habits, just like you can build good habits.
The key is to design your environment in a way that makes it easier to break bad habits (without having to conjure up the willpower every time).
Related: the miracle morning: 8 steps to an insanely productive day
2. It’s okay to not make friends instantly in college.
The best friendships are going to form when you aren’t even looking.
Not everyone has an Instagram-worthy, spontaneous road-trip-ready friend circle. Even if it appears that they do.
Introverts and extroverts think differently and socialize differently.
Embrace who you are and how you interact with others socially, but push yourself incrementally.
3. Don’t lose yourself looking for love.
Contrary to what you might think, single people exist. They are everywhere.
You just don’t see them as much.
You’re still discovering yourself and what you want out of life and a partner.
There will be time to seek love and companionship once you understand your needs better.
And if you’re going through heartbreak, it can feel like the end of the world.
It never is.
4. Save. Your. Money
Chipotle 3 times a week is not worth it.
Neither is that 5th cup of Starbucks.
Save your money. Learn to cook a decent meal. Your 21-year-old self will be grateful for it.
5. Get involved.
You’re more talented than you think you are.
Your identity is shaped by behaviors and habits you perform repeatedly.
If you want to be a creative person, pick up your camera, sign up for a graphic design class, doodle on your notebook.
If you want to work for a company you think will never hire you, sign up for their booth at the career fair, network with their employees on LinkedIn.
Be okay with rejection, and never stop yourself from trying because of fear of hearing the word “no”.
Be okay with rejection, and never stop yourself from trying because of fear of hearing the word “no”.
6. Your resume probably needs work.
It’s never too early to start working on career readiness.
And that starts with working on your resume.
Take advantage of the career services offered by your university. Grow your network on LinkedIn. Just start now.
And if you need online resources, Andrew LaCivita on YouTube taught me pretty much everything I know about resumes.
7. Devote yourself to lifelong learning.
Learning doesn’t end when your class ends.
Read your textbooks. Sign up for online classes. Replace music with audiobooks and podcasts when walking to class.
If everyone around you is glued to their phones, it doesn’t mean you should be too. Read a book.
8. Showing up equals success.
You gain nothing by skipping class and not paying attention.
You do lose a few hundred dollars of tuition money, though.
If you’re not a morning person, maybe don’t take a 7:00 am class. Make it easier for yourself to show up and learn.
9. Studying abroad is life-changing.
Part of why college is such a memorable time is because of the diversity of people and cultures it exposes us to.
I studied abroad in France and Switzerland as a Junior and met some of the most wonderful people who became lifelong friends.
There are scholarships and you can use your financial aid for assistance. However, it’s okay if this is not something that’s possible right now. You have the rest of your life to travel.
10. Befriend your professors.
College professors are like living encyclopedias of wisdom.
Yet most people scroll on their phones in class and don’t even listen to them.
When you need a recommendation letter for your study abroad scholarship (or just some A+ life-advice), you will thank yourself for building relationships with your professors.
There you have it, a little medley of college inspiration and your daily shot of you-can-do-it. Wherever you are in life (or in your academic journey), understand that a journey is all it is, and you have to take the bad with the good, trust yourself, take a deep breath and keep growing.
Are you starting college soon? What are you most excited about/afraid of? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!