7 Things You Should Know Before Going Off to College

Once your enter college, you will quickly realize that mother is no longer there to take care of your every need so you can play Guitar Hero in your bedroom. That's not to say that you can't play Guitar Hero in your dorm room, it's just that as a college student, you must realize that now is the time for you to transition into adulthood. Growing pains, they call it. Here are some skills and concepts you must understand in order to maintain a normal and healthy life all throughout college (it wouldn't hurt to realize these things in high school rather than 2 years into your college education).

Time Management

When college starts, no one has time. Friends you said you'd make time to eat dinner with will slowly fade into the background as you realize that next week you have 3 midterms and 4 homeworks due. Don't make promises you can't keep, but make sure you can schedule a normal life around your academic one. The main principle you must understand is that you're not going to have all the time you want - that next test date is coming up mighty fast. For these reasons it is imperative that you make time for everything you need to lead a normal life: Eating, sleeping, studying, and hanging out with your friends. In order to make sure that you will be able to accomplish all of these things, organizing a schedule and planning around it must take place. Trying to "wing" everything and solve problems as they arise is no way to live, and you will quickly realize (as you are backed up like a clogged toilet) that you should have bought that agenda planner at the bookstore.

Self Control

This is the big one. Every year, hundreds of great students drop out or do poorly their first year of college because of lack of self control. Students who do succeed academically in high school usually do so at the urging and constant supervision of their parents. So once they enter college, they feel that they have the freedom to let loose and also do well. The thing is that they forget how much their parents' advice and supervision really kept them in check.

What happens is first year college students will disappear to their rooms, never see the light of day, skip class, and play video games or surf the web for countless amounts of hours before they finally realize that finals are coming up and they know nothing. One particular story I recall was about 2 years ago, a friend of the family said that his son was accepted into one of the Ivy League Colleges, but later that year he had to drop out because of poor grades. His son went through this process twice. When he was at home, his parents would watch over him and make sure he didn't slip too far, but once he was out on his own in the dorm room, there was really no way for his parents to watch over him, hence his lack of self control and falling into the hole.

If you know your parents are a bit overbearing and overprotective, make sure that you let them know (or make yourself understand) that once you are own your own in college, no one is going to be there to tell you to go to bed and get enough sleep so you can wake up for your 8 A.M. class.

No one is going to make sure you get a home-cooked meal so you don't order out every day. Plenty of students don't know how to cook for themselves or prepare a meal that is healthy and cheap - they choose to take a simple route out by ordering pizza every day so they can go back to playing their video games. The infamous Freshman 15 is not a myth. In case you didn't know, the "Freshman 15" is a saying which denotes that on average freshmen gain an average of 15 pounds of weight their first year in college.

Discipline is key to making sure that you stay on track to graduate and keep up a healthy lifestyle. This is the first step in preparation for living your own life without your parents. So be sure to always take care of yourself, because no one is going to teach you otherwise. As my old roommate once said (upon my waking up late for a class), "I'm not your mother."

Research Outside of Class

In high school, you do well because your teachers provide you with everything you need - notes and a textbook. No longer will that be the case in college. In college, if you want to excel in a class you will need to be able to do your own research outside of the classroom. Many students stampede to the library on the first day of classes so they can check out reference books for the semester (most universities have a policy of allowing books to be checked out for a whole semester). Reference books are vital to your resources as a student. In case you miss lecture, your professor doesn't teach the way you would like him or her to, or your textbook just plain sucks, you can always look for resources outside of class whether it be to go to another professor's lecture, check out other books on the same subject, or even obtain notes from a friend who previously took the class. You can't survive college on your own - you must know how to make the most of everything around you, not just things that are given to you.

Learn to use a Computer

You wouldn't believe how many students don't have basic knowledge skills on how to use a computer. When you enter college, almost everything done will be through a computer. Professors will store your grades and notes in a database. You will contact your professors and TAs (Teaching Assistants) through email. You will submit projects as files. Make sure you have a basic understanding of simple internet skills such as being able to use a search engine, attach files to an email, learn to use excel, word, and the like.

You WILL fail

Understand that college is not a walk in the park. There will be times where your tests are all scheduled for the same week (sometimes the same day), and professors don't care. You may have 3 tests one day and 2 on another, but you've got to deal with it. You will fail (or at least do poorly) on some tests and some assignments. This is something that you must accept and just move on. High School is much different in that it is very hard to fail a class or an exam as your teachers will guide you through most of the subject material, but in college you are on your own. Not every day will be a good day, but you must learn to try your best and forget what you have no control over. Once Test 2 is over, start worrying about Test 3. So don't be so down when you get a 64, the curve will save you.

Try Something New Every Day

College is your chance to really get out and try any and all things you can get your hands on. High school might have been a prison cell to you as your parents always made sure you had a curfew or you didn't party too much, but college is a time to do things that you have not done before. Get involved in clubs, organizations, community service; go outside and become outgoing. This is not to say that you shouldn't be responsible. Things such as illegal activities, rushing into sexual relationships, and trying to see who's liver fails first should be avoided at all costs.

Even if you don't want to try something new, do things differently. If you walk this way to class every day, then maybe choose another route on another day. If you've never seen a certain part of campus, go explore. This is an important skill in opening up your mind to new ideas and thoughts that you otherwise never would have thought of. Routine can make life good, but change can make it better.

Wash Your Clothes

Yes, it has come time to learn how to do your own laundry. If you already know how to wash your clothes, then good for you. If not, then it should be fairly easy to learn, but know that if you don't wash your clothes, they will quickly pile up and your room will slowly develop into a pig sty. Great way to get the girls.

So the next time you have to do something on your own, visualize your life without your parents. In college, you will make your own decisions and live your own life. Yes, you will make mistakes from time to time, but being able to learn from them is what's most important. Remember what you're going to college for (hopefully an education), and take from this experience all that you can.