The start of something ~new~

Now that it’s April, high school seniors and college students looking to transfer have received letters back from the colleges they've applied to. For those who got into the school they wanted, Mazel Tov! You and your family must be so proud for achieving this goal. For those high school students who got rejections, I suggest going to a community college during the first two years. You save money by staying at home and it’s much easier to get into your dream school by transferring from a community college than it would be to apply straight from high school. Regardless of whether you’re going to a community college, state school, or private school, I have some advice to share for anyone who is starting the next chapter of their lives:

1. Don’t act like you know what you’re doing (when you have no clue)

Let’s just cut to the chase here. Please don’t act like you know what you’re doing when you actually have no clue. Be realistic. You’re away from your family in a whole new world (Nostalgia ftw) surrounded by people you’ve never met before and the class dynamic is well... different from that of high school. And before you say, “But I took AP classes in high school, those are suppose to help me in college", I’ll stop ya right there. Those classes aren’t going to help you apart from gaining you college credit (if you got a high enough score). Even then, you don’t get out of many of them (you're lucky if you get out of a semester of English). The way of life in high school and the way of life in college aren’t comparable.

2. Go to office hours

If your professor has office hours, go to them. They are a great resource to not only connect with the professor, but also get help and feedback on understanding things in the class. I’ve been going to my English instructor’s office hours practically every week of the semester and it’s been such a help with figuring out the process for writing my papers. To anyone who is hesitant to do this, just go at least once during the semester. There’s nothing to be afraid of, it won’t hurt a bit. Plus, being friends with the professor often gives you leniency when it comes to final grades (they're much more likely to bump your grade if they like you).

3. Keep professors in the loop

For students with disabilities (mental and physical), make sure you let your professors know about your accommodations sooner rather than later. Nothing is worse than test time when you forgot to tell them and they're not prepared. Don’t be afraid to talk to them about your needs. After all, they’re the key to your success in the class. This is also where office hours comes into play. Office hours are a time when you can be one on one with your professor (so you can have them cornered in talking about your needs). Let yourself be heard! This is who you are, they either take it or leave it!

4. Tutors may be necessary

If you are taking a class that is hard af, get a tutor immediately. Trust me, it’ll make things a whole lot easier on you if you have a tutor for any class you find particularly difficult. Ask your professor about finding one and then go from there. If that fails, google tutors for your subject. You can also look at bulletin boards across campus to find listings for tutors. Don’t give up on finding the perfect tutor to help you pass.

5. Try finding time during the week to exercise

It’s important to stay active when you spend so much time studying (and probably be surrounding by unhealthy junk). I suggest working out early in the morning so that you can get your workout out of the way before classes and then not have to worry about it for the rest of the day. Exercise is also good for mental health reasons since you can have some time to clear your mind of all the stressful clutter.

6. You don’t have to become besties with your roommate(s)

You might end up living with people who have schedules that conflict with yours so you won’t see them that often and/or their personalities could be 100% different than yours. And that’s ok. The most important thing is that you learn to cohabit in a peaceful manner. Besides, you’ll find new friends elsewhere (such as in classes or at club meetings). Remember, living with other people doesn’t always equal instant best friends for life.

7. Self-care is important

I cannot stress the importance of this enough. Always, ALWAYS make time for yourself during the semester. Being in college often ends up with you having a much more intense workload than you've ever had in your life. Remember to treat your hard working self! Binge watch your favorite show on Netflix! Eat some ice cream! Buy yourself something nice! It’s not carelessness, it’s self-care. BIG difference. And hey, if you don’t finish your work on a particular day... that’s ok. Do what is necessary for your sake so you can still slay.

8. It's okay to change majors

Don’t fully expect to graduate with the same major you came in with. You may find the classes for that major much more difficult than you thought or you may find a new major that you want to pursue instead. I came into college wanting to major in Political Science. Eventually I changed my mind after failing the introduction class during my first semester. Still, I don’t regret taking it because it was during the homestretch of the election. Now I’m a declared American Studies major with a minor in Disability Studies.

9. Sometimes you gotta say "YOLO"

And finally, make sure to have enjoyable experiences during the upcoming four years. You only get to be a young college student once, so why not enjoy it? These years don’t have to be like what you see on TV. Your college experience should be what feels right for you, not having to replicate what others had because it seems so ‘perfect’.

I do hope you take some of the advice I have offered now and I wish you all good luck as you start school. It’ll be stressful, but worth it at the end of it all.

Want to hear more from Anna? Follow her on Instagram @berkeleybee98 or on Twitter @rugratbeebee98!

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