10 Tips For Handling College

Hello there and welcome to a brand new advice column, College Edition! Today I will be giving you a few tips and tricks on how to handle college life! This post will be relate-able for current college student, nostalgic for all former ones, and, for you highschoolers, a big help. I'm currently in my second year at college, so here's what I learned so far:

1. Highschool is NOTHING like college.

For one thing, school is so much easier than college. School makes sure you know all you need to know for exams. In college, however, you either know, or you don't. So make sure you know people who know critical pieces of information, and that you know where to get crucial studying materials. Another, social, reason is that in college popularity does not matter at all. In fact, the smaller your social circle, the better. You're less likely to know people who are chatter boxes during lectures and may get you thrown out, plus in college you don't have the time or energy for the drama of "he said she said" because you're too busy trying to get your GPA up. So keep a small circle of company that you trust and that you know have the same attitude in a lecture hall as you.

2. Coffee. Coffee. Coffee. COFFEE!

I didn't even like the taste of coffee before college. Now... If you ask any of my friends in college, they'll tell you not to speak to me before I've had any source of caffeine. I'll either completely ignore you, or have an intentional "resting bitch face" *sorry for swearing*. So if you're not a morning person, make sure you have coffee before you get to college or leave your dorm for the first lecture of the day. So I now have a jar of Nescafe in my room to remind me every morning to have a cup. Or if I don't have time I make a quick sachet of iced cappuccino in a bottle and drink it on the way to college.

3. Start studying as soon as possible, for the love of God.

Because staying up late trying to get everything crammed in to you brain is not nice. At all. So yeah start catching up on the syllabus as soon as you can. It will save you a load of energy and sleep. Plus its more efficient than pulling caffeine driven all nighters.

4. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT take a taxi (or any other transportation on four wheels) to college.

Its expensive and you can never guarantee what the traffic will look like. Take the underground/metro/subway if possible. Its super cheap and very quick. Once you know exactly how much time it takes you to get to college via metro, you're set to go and you're never late as long as you make sure you leave when you're supposed to. Also, if you can, you can always walk. If the distance is short and the route is safe, just walk over there. You pay nothing and its refreshing. Wakes you up before that first lecture.

5. Attendance is more important than you think.

Why? Because you get graded on your attendance. Because you might need those marks if the exam turns out to be hard. And because you need the lectures, bad professor or not. You need to show up to know where the heck you are in the syllabus. You need an idea of what to study. So show up to college. Your parents don't pay for you to skip your education and you've got nothing better to do, I guarantee it.

6. Don't think that when you share your notes with everyone, they'll be thankful.

They won't. They'll envy you. They'll label you a nerd (Nothing wrong with that. but I hate labels. Especially if they come from people who don't know you). And you will not hear a single thank you unless its from a friend. So save your effort. If your friends want your notes then fine. But don't go through the trouble of sharing your notes for ungrateful people. Believe me, your conscience will still be intact.

7. Be professional in group projects.

Don't let people who will do absolutely nothing to contribute join your group for a project. Don't think you're being mean, either. If they're sensible and professional people, they'll understand. If a friend happens to be amongst those people, make it up to them afterwards. But seriously, its called a group project because there should be group effort. Moreover, if its a presentation, and a member of the group, who has no idea what the project is because they didn't do an ounce of work, gets called up to present the project, you're all possibly doomed. So save yourself the trouble and join up with people you can work with. This will help in college and in a job that requires teamwork with people you get to choose to work with.

8. Don't forget to have some fun every now and then.

College is the best time of your life. But only if you make it that way. Don't let all the assignments, projects, and tests hold you back from having fun with your friends. You guys do need a breather sometimes, so have a spontaneous outing here and there. Go see a movie when you can. Or just have a good sit down and laugh hysterically with them. These little things create the best memories in college.

9. Get ready to jump out of your comfort zone...A lot.

When you actually get into college, its a completely different setting with completely different people than the ones you were used to seeing 5 days a week for 8 hours a day. You will feel completely out of you element at first. But its at that phase that it is very important to mingle. Meet people. Make friends. Those friends will last you a long time too.

10. It's OK not to see your friends from school as much.

This applies especially to friends who go to different colleges. Just because you don't see them all the time doesn't mean it's over for your friendship. You will have other friends that you see a lot in college yes, but that won't replace or push away your friends from school. Neither will your personalities developing or changing in college. Distancing from people is a choice that is 100% up to the person. If you want to see your friends, you will see them.

Well, I think those are the bare necessities. If there are any current or former college students reading this, please leave an input if you have any. And I hope you highschoolers benefit from my tips. If anyone has any questions, comments, or suggestions for next week, please leave them on my social platforms over in the social bar. Like the facebook page if you like the blog, and share this with anyone you think could benefit from what I write!

That's all for me this week! Please wish me luck as I have midterms all of the coming week, but I will be back next Thursday. Thanks for reading, liking, commenting, and sharing, and I will see you next week! Hue Mann, over and out!! ;)

#AskHueMann