How to Be Successful Your First Year in College

Moving away from home and beginning your University Years can be overwhelming. It is your first chance at independence. All your assignments will be your responsibility during your first real test of handling your independence. There are a few tips however which may help you get a firmer grasp on this huge change in your life and how to handle the responsibilities that are coming your way in school.

Organize - It is always helpful to organize your courses at the beginning of the semester. You will be given a course outline, which should have all tasks for the term listed. If you organize all these tasks throughout the next semester you will know what needs to be done and what is expected of you, so you can begin thinking of them well ahead of time.

Make it Visible - Mark all your assignments and exams on a calendar so you can see it at any given time. I always found the Dry Erase Calendars helpful as they hang right on your wall and are extremely visible. You can also make changes at any time quite easily and can mark important assignments in bright bold colours.

Plan Ahead - By having all your assignment outlined on a calendar and thus visible you will see if you have multiple assignments due at the same time or in the same week. You will also see this at the beginning of the semester, which should give you plenty of time to plan ahead, and decide when to start working on any of your given assignments to ensure you meet all of your deadlines.

Review - When you have completed an assignment or study section give yourself enough time to review it. You can catch many mistakes by reviewing and will then have time to fix them. It is also helpful to have a friend review as a second set of eyes will almost always catch something you missed.

Research - Research all necessary projects with due diligence. You are putting in a lot of time and money to attend University, so give it your best effort. If you are not sure how to use the library, ask someone!

Make it Fun- There are little things you can do to make your studying that much more interesting. I use various coloured highlighters and sticky notes. This always brightens up my studying notes and my mood. It's the little things that count when it comes to studying.

Study with a Buddy - If you have a study buddy it will force you to study that much more. This is especially true if you plan ahead to study as you won't want to cancel on your friend. It also means you and your friend can encourage each other during the semester. It's always nice to have a friend around during study times because when you take a break you can also share a few laughs to unwind.

Back It Up - The worst thing in the eyes of a student is spending days writing a paper only for your computer to have a problem resulting in the loss of your work. Save yourself this stress and back all of your work up, and as you write stop to save your work periodically. This can prevent a lot of stress and frustration should anything ever happen.

Ask for Help - Don't be shy. If you are unsure of a project, or you have questions regarding a certain concept, always take the time to ask for help. Don't leave it until it's too late and you've fallen so far behind that it is impossible to catch up.

Be Proud of Yourself - Attending University is a huge step and time commitment. You should be proud of yourself for the work and dedication you have shown to obtain a Higher Education.