a digital illustration of a student wearing a backpack running across a giant piece of lined paper. The lines of the paper raise above the page and wrap around the student like ropes. He struggles to come untied.

6 Vital Tips for Successfully Surviving College

by Braxtyn Birrell

College is made out to students to be this impossibly difficult experience all throughout their high school careers. High-schoolers are constantly warned of the intensity of coursework, rigidity of professors, and chaos of culture that comes along with the college experience. Yet, the preparation provided to incoming college students is often far less than ideal. Take it from someone who is going through it currently–college is definitely a challenge, but it should not be a living Hell. With the right advice and the active willingness to apply that advice to your life, college is absolutely manageable and can even be fun! In hopes that you do not have to spend as much of your college career feeling intimidated and miserable as I did, I am going to share with you the most meaningful lessons I have learned throughout my own experience.

1. Keep a Map of Campus in Your Mind

Most freshmen start college off by taking their general education courses. What this means is that the students with the least experience at the university are the most likely to have a schedule full of classes in a variety of buildings. While every university offers some sort of map of their campus, not every map is interactive, nor is every interactive map updated to include the features a student may find truly useful. Therefore, creating familiarity with your new campus may best be achieved by just going out and exploring. Go to campus, and first take a walk past all the buildings, making a mental note of what they are called and any acronyms associated with them.If you’ve already got your schedule, next practice by walking from one room you will have a class in to another, going in the order you’ll have the classes.

Lastly, I’d recommend taking it a step further by forming some familiarity with all the buildings, even the ones you likely won’t ever have classes in. As a freshman, I found myself late for meetings with advisors and professors simply because I was expected to be in a building I’d never heard of and had no idea as to where it was. A method of forming that mental map is to pick two random locations on campus. Using a physical map to assist you, start by making your way to the first location, and then get to the second location from there. Repeat the process a handful of times, maybe even on a handful of different days, until you’ve visited most of campus. The goal is that by doing this, you will be able to get anywhere you’re expected to be, no matter where you’re starting from. You will also likely pass the same buildings multiple times, but from different angles, which will help you to create a more personal connection with a greater portion of campus than you would if you focused only on where you currently had classes.

2. Join a Club

Any academic struggle I have faced has only been intensified by feelings of loneliness and isolation, if I was experiencing those as well. A consequence of taking your generals is that there is going to be an overwhelming amount of faces seen in each of your classes, and most of these faces will likely not be seen again. Even if you came to college with friends already with you, as I did not, it can be very difficult to form a connection with your peers and the culture of your university. Joining a club was advice I heard often from well-meaning advisors, but shrugged off for far too long. I instantly regretted ignoring this advice when I stumbled upon a club that finally made me feel as if I belonged at my university.

Clubs that pertain to your interests and goals are the perfect place to make friends, because you don’t have to wonder whether the other members will have something in common with you, as you might have to do with your classmates. Even if you do not become close with every other member of your club, simply knowing those around you can help you to form a support system for when you’ll need it, and can also help you to be introduced to others outside the club that may become your best friends. As Odyssey states, “Joining clubs/extracurriculars in college is not only a good way to take a break from school work but can also help you make new friends or even build your resume.” My own involvement in a club has presented me with an internship opportunity in which I am gaining meaningful experience I can later apply to my professional endeavors. None of this would have happened for me had I not jumped at the mention of a club that interested me, and taken the intimidating initiative of placing myself within that unknown space. You likely will not be as lucky as I was to be casually told of clubs that interest you. Therefore, I highly suggest you actively search for a list of clubs offered at your university and try out a handful of them. You don’t have to stay if they are not a good fit, but you may be pleasantly surprised.

3. Avoid Becoming Overworked

a digital illustration of a student with an expression of stress on her face sitting at a table and looking down at a book. Sitting on the table surrounding her are stacks of more books. Potted plants and framed pictures sit atop the piles of books. On the wall behind her are more framed pictures and shelves of books and potted plants. As a new adult with a much higher number of bills to pay than ever before, money can get tight. It only makes sense that a college student may feel the need to work full-time hours just to get by. If possible, though, I highly recommend you avoid this. As I attempted to handle a full-time job on top of my full-time class schedule, my mental health began to deteriorate. This even led to issues with my physical health. I found myself with no time to spend doing the activities I enjoyed, or with the people I loved. On the rare occasion I did have the free time, I barely had the energy to crawl out of bed.

Not only does your social life go down the drain if there is no balance of work and play in your life, but your academic performance will likely take a hit as well. There is no point in spending so much of your time doing work if that tall workload leads to failure. I’d agree with The Conversation when they say 20 hours/week is ideal for the college student. If you really need to work those extra hours in order to make enough money, I’d recommend dropping a class or taking a break. You can always make up the credits later.

4. Take Similar Classes Simultaneously

Most–if not all–universities offer a list of classes required to obtain your degree, usually in the order they would recommend you take them in. While it is typically not necessary for you to take your required courses in any particular order (save for the prerequisites associated with some), I would recommend following the suggested order. Even if you do not follow the list perfectly, I encourage you to read course titles, numbers, and descriptions carefully. This way, you can plan to take classes covering similar content at the same time. By taking classes related to one another simultaneously, I was given the opportunity to go over overlapping concepts double the amount I would have if I had taken the classes at different times. I likely would not have understood the lessons taught in either class nearly as deeply if it were not for the support from the other. Most of the relevant knowledge taught to you in your classes will likely be lost if too many classes are taken before taking another including similar content. Also, by following course numbers, you can have an idea as to what level of work is going to be expected of you. You can therefore start with classes in-line with your current experience level, and work your way up.

5. Manage Your Time

a digital illustration of two students standing in front of a giant clock. The student on the left is sitting on the floor, working on her laptop. The student on the right is standing up, manipulating the hands of the clock. Placed on the floor on either side of the clock are a large cup of pencils and a large calendar. As a new student, chances are that you will not be used to spending the amount of time on schoolwork outside of class as will be expected of you in college. You will likely underestimate this expectation and fall behind sooner than it seems should be humanly possible. Time management is vital. As howtolearn.com explains, college students spend two-to-three hours on homework per every hour they spend in a class, each week. One cannot simply complete their assignments as they stumble upon free time (which will be rarer than you’d think). A significant chunk of time must be planned in advance to set aside for homework every day.

Obviously, however, some days are doomed to be busier than others. A trick that has been very helpful to me is to use a handheld planner or a wall calendar to keep track of all the assignments I had to complete and when they were each due. Using these things, I could write down my work schedule and other events I had to attend alongside my homework. This way, I could physically see which days I’d have the most time to study, and which I’d have to plan to make up lost hours. I could also see which weeks would be particularly filled with assignments and plan extra study time accordingly.

6. Take Notes

Even if I never go back and read my notes again (which I usually do), I find that simply writing down what I am learning causes me to have a deeper understanding of that information than I would have if I only listened to the lecture or read the textbook. I deeply regret the years of high school in which I rarely took notes, for I did not realize the power simply writing down information myself had in understanding and memorization. Not everyone shares this learning style – some people really do understand information just fine by only hearing or reading it. I would still recommend those students make note-taking a habit. By making the effort to write down all key concepts covered in class, studying for quizzes and exams becomes so much easier. Very little further research is required when all of the answers are right there in your notes!

Simply re-reading over notes once right after you’ve taken them can serve as a great recap of the information that you likely wouldn’t get otherwise. Doing this can cause you to remember which concepts you did not feel as confident about while you were taking the notes, and can help you remember to ask questions you did not get to ask in the moment. You may not even realize certain concepts are fuzzy until you go back for that recap. Furthermore, as UMass Dartmouth points out, note-taking is great for students who tend to zone out while learning, for it “forces you to pay attention and helps you focus in class (or while reading a textbook).”

Closing Remarks

I know you’ve heard this just as many times as I have, but it’s worth repeating: you are not alone. Thousands upon thousands of students have completed college with great success; the vast majority of which wondered how they would get through their freshmen year. You have the highest capacity to succeed, as long as you put in the effort. My only hope is that by providing you with these tips, it won’t take you quite as much effort as it has taken me. Apply these tips to your own life, but do not stop there. Always stay on the lookout for what keeps you the most productive, and utilize those methods as much as possible. One day at a time, you will get through this. If you manage your time wisely, reduce your workload when needed, and put yourself out there, you may even love your college experience (you will).

Braxtyn Birrell is a sophomore English major at Utah Valley University, earning a bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in Writing Studies. She is simultaneously earning the Editing and Design Certificate. When she is not doing homework, she spends most of her time attending to her duties as Technical Editor of a literary magazine, making seven-foot sandwiches, and coloring pictures of puppy dogs.