College Advice - Tumblr Posts
Actual good first-time college student advice:
Wear jeans/pants that “breathe” and bring a sweater, even if it’s scorching hot out, until you know which building blasts the AC to 60 degrees F and which feels like a sauna
Backpacks with thick straps are your friend! Messenger bags are cool and all but if you’re commuting with a lot of stuff, symmetrically styled backpacks are better for your back
You are your own person and you can walk out whenever you need to or want to, so long as you’re not disrupting the class. Meaning you can go to the bathroom without permission, take a breather if you’re anxious, answer an important phone call, etc.
If you don’t like the class on the first day, if you can- DROP THAT CLASS AND TAKE ANOTHER ONE! It’ll only get worse from there!
If you can, take a class outside your major; it’s a good break from your expected studies.
You are in charge of your schedule. Your adviser and guidance counselor is there to ‘advise and guide’ but if you don’t like certain classes and you can substitute for others, that’s your choice.
Consequently, if you are changing anything drastic in your plan, talk with your adviser and instructors.
Pay attention to your credit hours and grades. Never leave this to the last week of school, you will be sorry and stressed beyond belief!
Unless it’s a lab book or otherwise specified, go to the class for a week or so before buying an expensive textbook. Some classes, while having it on their required list, do not actually use the textbook a whole lot and you might find some of it scanned online. Rent if you can or buy used online (schools actually don’t give discounts). Use your best judgement on what you think you need.
Tell the people who go up to you selling or advertising things you are not interested in that you are in a rush to class and don’t have time to listen to them. It’s less rude and they’ll leave you alone.
The smaller the class, the better it is to have some sort of acquaintanceship with a couple classmates. They might save your ass if you are absent one day or need to study. And talking with them makes the time go by faster without it being so insufferable.
You don’t need to join a club or sport, but internships are cool and useful!
If you can afford it, take a day off once or twice each semester if you’re too exhausted. Just be aware of what you missed and if it was worth missing!
Your health is the most important, this goes for mental health too!! Note: College-age/upper teens is when mental disorders like depression and anxiety are most commonly diagnosed. Most schools have therapy services, especially during exam time. Look into it if you need to!
Communicate with your professor if you are having trouble with something. Anything.
Eat and stay hydrated. Bring a water bottle and snack to class.
All-nighters will happen but never go over 36 hours without sleep.
It’s going to be hard and there will be times you might think about giving up. This WILL happen. You just have to make sure what you’re doing isn’t making you absolutely miserable and/or there is something rewarding and positive to look forward to at the end!
“A Thread of Tips” by Shelby
• #16 is missing but to find out more tips, follow her on twitter; be sure to thank her! 😁
Does anyone have any advice for college anxiety? Like how do I stop myself from being so anxious. My classes start on September 6th and while that's basically a whole month a way it's approaching quickly. I'm so nervous about where I'm gonna sit, who I'm gonna talk to, and if I even belong there.
It's a community college so it's relatively small, I'm just so nervous. I'm practically going in alone bc I have only a few friends and most of them live far out or aren't going to college.
I know it's supposed to be exciting but what if my professor is a mean person? What if I somehow miss an assignment? See this is my anxiety rambling. I know I'm ready for college now, just so nervous.
Like the thought of college use to excite me but due to my depression and anxiety worsening, man idk it got bad lol.
So yea, any advice lmao
College advice 📚📙📖
What's something you wish you knew or what advised on when first starting college? I'll start!
don't spend your energy on toxic people and those that actively make you feel lesser. you deserve to treated with basic human decency and dignity.
clichéd but be yourself! college isn't like highschool where you have to fit into a certain mold (at least in my experience).
explore different interests! try the journalism club or join the soccer club.
find the ideal study place on campus - whether it's the library, a classroom that's empty from 14.00-16.00 or a wholesome cafe 15-min away from campus, having alternative study places is really useful!
learn how to budget - that grocery money has to last you the whole month, so plan accordingly.
don't hide yourself away in your dorms or at home, even though it often feels so overwhelming. even going for an evening jog or a walk can be quite helpful.
create a study plan! studying can get too much, so having an outline is definitely a must during exam week.
See if you can borrow textbooks from your library. textbooks can be soooo expensive, so do ask your librarian if there are any textbooks that you can borrow.
Feel free to share any advice or suggestions! 🔮✨💯
Getting back on track after a slump
Life is non-linear as it turns out. Sometimes you're doing great and then all of a sudden you're completely thrown off and are struggling to get up.
It happens to pretty much everyone, and even though you can't really prevent a slump from happening, you can use this advice to help you get back on track
Make a list of what you have to do Sit down, make yourself some tea or coffee and just start writing what you need to do. Missed a deadline with that unfinished paper? Write it down, add a sub-bullet to ask for an extension/send an email explaining your circumstances to your professor/teacher (they're also human, chances are if you notify and explain the situation to them, they will do their best to help you).
Break down those tasks into sub-tasks. By simplifying and breaking down your tasks into smaller chunks you're not only making it easier to do them, but you're also helping yourself get rid of some anxieties or fears since that task now looks much easier and more manageable to accomplish.
Update or create a new routine. Whether your routine contributed towards this slump or not, its always good to update your routine as you grow and change. What may have worked then may not necessarily be appropriate or helpful now. We humans are creatures of change, it's only natural that we outgrow our past.
Take it slow when easing back into your routine. Going too fast can actually be counter-productive, because you should be naturally aligning yourself with it and not forcing yourself into something you're not completely ready to follow. Trying to overcompensate generally isn't a good idea, as putting extra pressure on yourself especially when you're just trying to get everything sorted may not end very well.
Write down your goals and dreams to help you get motivated. It may seem difficult and at times pointless to try and get back on track, and reminding yourself about your goals and aims can definitely encourage you to take the steps to getting back on track or starting over.
Talk to someone about what you're feeling and going through. Your school or uni have counselors and people who can help you get through this if you require help. You don't necessarily have to jump straight into it, just start with a friendly email briefly explaining the situation and go from there.
Back to uni to-dos: Final year edition
This will be my final year at university, which in itself is honestly unbelievable. Here's a list of things to do before and during your final year, although anyone can benefit from this advice!
1.Review your graduation requirements Make sure that everything is on track grade-wise and that you have enough credits to graduate. If there are any issues, meet with your academic advisor so that you have enough time to fix everything and graduate hassle-free.
2. Fix your sleep schedule before your classes are due to start. You can't be productive if you're always sleep-deprived and running on coffee. Your final year is especially important, so you need to be able to focus, which is practically impossible if you're sleep-deprived.
3. Exchange contact details with your favorite professors, advisors, etc. This may be a cultural thing, but here it's quite usual to remain in contact with your professors. You don't have to be facebook friends, but having someone you can ask for advice or request a LinkedIn recommendation from may be useful, which leads me to the next point.
4. Update your LinkedIn & other profiles This includes updating your email address to something more professional because the email address you had since you were 12 is unlikely to be all that professional now. Add any experience that you may have, whether it's an internship, freelancing or a job placement etc.
5. Plan what comes after or review your plan Are you jumping into a masters degree? Freelancing? Working abroad? Not many people have a 100% finished plan, but it does help to research your options and have an understanding of what you want to do after. Things change and as the past year has shown, some previously considered options are definitely not it.
6. Career fairs and networking events Chances are you may have attended some, but for final years these things are especially important. You have a chance to personally meet recruiters and to exchange contact details which may come in handy in the future. Obviously you can do that via LinkedIn, but I for one think that talking in person can add more of a personal touch. Regarding networking in general, it doesn't necessarily have to be a formal affair. Sure there are those formal meetings but they don't always have to be. There are plenty of facebook groups e.g. marketing, women in finance etc. which you can join and ask for mentoring, advice or even if you can meet up for a coffee and a chat. Alternatively, your university most likely has a careers/guidance office where you can find out about any networking meetings or organizations that have events going on.
7. Create an application schedule Many firms open their graduate student program applications at a certain time, so depending on where you're applying, or if you're skipping that, a schedule is a good idea. If you're targeting different sectors then your resume will have to be altered a bit to make it appropriate for the job that you're applying for. Many jobs also require cover letters, so it may be a good idea to have a rough template so that you know what exactly it is that you're supposed to include and then edit accordingly.
8. Try to get some work experience It doesn't have to be full-time at an office type of work, but any experience is good. Freelance language tutor, an internship, volunteer work, writing for your uni's paper. Experience doesn't automatically guarantee you a job, but it can be beneficial in standing out or giving you an extra boost.
9. Try to get some extra qualifications A language proficiency test, a coursera course (there are quite a lot of free ones), a LinkedIn powerpoint course, Code First Girls javascript course (also free!). You can add quite a lot of skills to your LinkedIn profile, but you do need to be able to back them up. These extra courses and qualification aren't just good for your resume, but they're also a good way for you to develop new skills and develop new interests. And who knows where they might end up taking you. My teachers former student ended up finding herself a husband on a study abroad language program in Korea and now they're happily married and living in Japan I think.
10. Make the most of it Uni certainly has it's ups and downs, but for most it's a pretty rewarding and occasionally enlightening journey. You may have different feelings towards it, but it is coming to an end so make some good memories.
11. Remember that life will go on after uni Many people may feel odd after graduating, you just spent 3-4 years living your life as a student and now you're not. Your previous routines that worked before may not work anymore. You may not be as close to your former dormmates. You may drift apart from your college bestie. But life goes on. Many things may stay the same and even more things may change and that's ok.