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What I Learned In My First Semester of College

What I Learned In My First Semester of College

I am proud to say that I have officially completed my first semester of college. In this post I will be discussing what I have learned ranging from academic to personal. I will also be including some tips and tricks at the end of the post.

Schedule, Schedule, Schedule

When it comes to getting everything you need to get done done, creating a schedule is the best way to do this. Whether that means having set study hours for each class or knowing what days of the week you have club meetings or workouts; scheduling is so incredibly helpful. Either using a paper planner (some schools hand them out at registration), using the reminders app on the iPhone, iCal or just a notes app, anything and everything is helpful.

Dinning Hall

Portion control is the greatest advice I can give for avoiding gaining weight during your first semester of college. Not drinking soda or pop at every meal and switching to water is a choice that will lessen your likely hood of gaining the dreaded freshman 15. I have also found that having a larger more filling meal is better than having small meals and snacking while I'm studying. 

Academic

If you put in the effort you will see the results you want. Do not be afraid to stand up in a group project if you feel something is being done wrong or could use improvement. Even though it may seem scary, the professor and TA are there to help you succeed so just email or schedule an appointment to meet with them if you are struggling. I had a professor give a really good piece of advice when it came to reading the textbook, 'do not read cover to cover'. This either means reading a certain number of sections or to a specific page number. I repeat do not read the whole chapter in one sitting. Even though it is common sense, do not wait until the last minute to complete an assignment. 

What I Learned About Myself

1. Its okay to ask for help.
2. I have to give myself a break. College is a place to make memories and have fun. 
3. I did not make new friends outside of my friends from high school. Making new friends is something that I am making a priority for second semester.
4. I do not mind living in the dormitory.
5. I fell in love with running again.
6. I knew I was in the right major when I was excited to go to class and enjoyed reading and working on the material for those classes.

Tips and Tricks

1. Make an effort to go to a school sporting event or show.
2. Having a cleaning routine that is reasonable (vacuum, dust, sanitize, trash, etc.)
3. Set up an email amount to be used just for school (if one is not issued to you by your university)
4. When studying set time or page number goals, this keeps you motivated and eliminates burn-out.
5. Try Quizlet out as a study tool.
6. Go home when you can and make the most of every time you see your family.
7. Learn of the resources that your college provides (clubs, math resource center, food accommodations, health center, etc.)
8. Getting enough sleep is key (as in Major Key- DJ Khaled)

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