For most students, college is the first opportunity to be an adult, live on your own, pay your own bills, and basically do whatever you want. But with freedom comes a big responsibility. So when you’re attending college, keep that in mind.

When I first started at the University of South Carolina, I was literally into everything. I couldn’t get enough or fill up on my planner with events to attend or volunteer opportunities or with club meetings. I really invested in campus and because of it, I was able to network with some amazing people, grow with those individuals, and learn a different side of me that I never knew about.

While I’m not done with college, I still get the opportunity every day to really be successful in college and to make it the best chapter of my life. Are you ready to do the same?

Here are my tips on how to be successful in college that are easy to do and can be done right now!

Take studying seriously

As always, I have to mention it, but you’re in college to get a degree! This means that you have to take the time to study, ask questions, and get to really know the material. Hopefully, it’s material that you enjoy and want to learn more. While studying doesn’t have to take up your entire day, make sure to set aside some time every day to sit down to dive into the books. Want to learn more study tips? Read this guide that I put together of the very best study advice. 

Take every opportunity that comes your way

College is all about the adventure and the challenges that come with finding yourself, learning more about your likes and dislikes, and learning through your mess ups. If you are given an opportunity to do something, such as being a part of a research project or to job shadow an influential person in your dream field, take it! You never know where an opportunity might take or who you might meet during the journey.

But that doesn’t mean you have to wait for an opportunity to fall into your lap. Go out there and find their own adventures to join! Figure out what you’re interested in and see how you can get involved.

Choose the professor, not the course

Many people believe that the course is what’s going to decide whether or not you pass the class or the difficulty of the material. But the real reason for that is the professor. When you’re choosing what class you want to take, take a look on Rate My Professor to check out the reviews of the teachers teaching the material. You can learn a lot from a harder professor or learn nothing from a horrible teacher, depending on the teaching style the works best for you. Take a moment to think about what you are trying to get out of the course and what kind of teaching are you going to need to pass the class.

Teachers are an important aspect of college that can truly make or break your experience, not just with the material but with the entire major itself.

Get connected to campus life

Nobody wants to go to college by themselves so trust me when I say, everyone is looking for companionship and friendship in college. Getting connected to campus life could mean that you join an organization, rush in a sorority or fraternity, or it could mean that you run for office of your entire class. I promise you that whatever you’re interested, there’s more than likely a club out there waiting for you to join!

Make friends, join an organization that strikes an interest with you, and enjoy the journey that is college. Plus, once you’re connected to campus life, you’ll be more open to the opportunities around you and have more confidence about taking those opportunities to heart.

Try things out of your comfort zone

College is literally the perfect time to try new things because it’s at this time that you’re learning about yourself as an individual, as a student, and as an adult. If you’re scared of doing something or scared of looking foolish in front of your friends, I want you to just imagine the regret you’ll feel later on because you didn’t try something really fun.

For me, I was so scared of dancing in front of people and being laughed at. I was thinking all kinds of horrible things, like maybe everyone will think that I am a terrible dancer or they’ll laugh directly into my face. And guess what? It wasn’t like that all, and I actually had an amazing time once I joined a local hip-hop dance team on campus. I still won’t dance in front of people, but the team definitely grew my confidence, and I made a ton of lifelong friends who I know have my back.

Learn to listen and take care of yourself

For me, the worst part about college is the stress. We as students are under so much pressure to do well in school and to always be on our A-game, but that’s not usually the case. Some people, like myself, know when enough is enough and can take a step back to take a break. Others need a little nudge from others to go out and have a good time every once in a while. Not that doesn’t mean to just become a party-animal! But it does mean that even when you’re in college, you deserve a mental break too.

Go to office hours or get tutoring

The funny part about college is that the teachers actually really and truly care about your success, especially in their class. They want you to succeed, but a lot of people are too scared to sit down with them and ask for help. Don’t be like that! Ask for help and make time to go get the help that you need in a class before it’s too late.

Go to most of your classes

I say most of your classes because you can miss a class here and there without doing poorly in the class. Most classes have a restriction of how many classes you can miss before getting docked a letter grade while other bigger classes could care less. Just check what class category that your class falls into and to plan accordingly.

You’re going to learn so much more when you get the opportunity to actually listen to the teacher and be able to review your notes after the class is over.

Test out your career field before settling down into a major

No matter what major you are in, please try to job shadow or network with people that are currently doing what you want to do for your career. It could be a simple phone call or an actual job shadow experience, but it’s such a great idea to be able to see where you want to go.

Plus, you won’t really know for sure that a job is something that you want to do forever, if you’ve never actually done it before. Like before I picked pharmacy school, I went through a pharmacy technician program and worked in a pharmacy before choosing my major in my second year of college. I wanted to be positive it was something that I wanted to do before I wasted my money on classes.

Take a class just for fun

College is meant to be a fun learning experience, so take a class that isn’t in your major just to see what it’s like. You might be surprised and find out that you’re really interested in that subject matter. One year, I needed an extra class to maintain one of my scholarships, but I didn’t want a hard class that would actually make me study. So, I decided to take a horseback riding class, because I always interested in riding but it can get expensive quick! I had so much fun during the class and was actually able to get over my fear of big animals! See, something like that could happen with you or you could find another major that interests you more.

Well there you have it folks: my 10 tips to be successful in college, which are all super easy to do and can easily be implicated right NOW!

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