College Chat - Last Year + Tips
Tis the season... to go back to school! I know some people have already started school but for most of us school is right around the corner. I think I mentioned in my first blog post that I will be going into my last year of college. That's so crazy to think about! It's been a long time coming, to say the least.
I think I start off every semester with mixed feelings. I wonder what kind of professors I'll have, how difficult or easy my classes will be, how much textbooks will cost (it cost me $200 just to say textbooks), how many assignments will drag me until the end of the semester, etc. Anxiety usually sets in a week or two before the semester starts and it lingers around until the last week of the semester. I'm equally excited, nervous, hopeful, and determined to get through my last year of school. My biggest task this time around will be figuring out what career I want to get into after graduation. My degree will be in Family and Consumer Science and I have soooo many career options to choose from.
Considering it's my sixth year in school I figured I would give some tips for those of you who are just starting in college or who aren't quite finished with school yet. Of course every school system is different and I'm not a college counselor but I've learned some things that no one tells you about when you start school. Without further ado...
- The first few semesters can be overwhelming with the amount of "freedom" you'll have - no one telling you to go to class or do your homework. Have fun but don't fall behind! Make sure you know your deadlines and important dates throughout the semester.
- Set a budget for yourself. It's easy to swipe that debit/credit card on food throughout the week and before you know it you're left with $7.82 for the rest of the week, yikes!
- Most college campuses have great resources, don't be afraid to take advantage of them! Many schools offer anything from counseling and health services to free gym use and financial resources, check your campus to see what's available to you.
- Make sure you double, triple, and quadruple check on which classes you do and don't need to take (and then check again). I've heard about and even experienced myself taking too many, not enough, or the wrong classes, and risking not graduating when you're supposed to.
- Open up! There are so many people with so many personalities on campus and I have to say, some of the lifelong friends I have now started off as classmates and I'm glad we said hello to each other during those first few weeks.
- You can party, or you can stay at home. Don't let social media tell you that you have to be at every party every weekend. There will always be parties and clubs, you can go but don't feel obligated to be everywhere all the time. Sometimes you'll have to sacrifice Thirsty Thursday for that five-page paper. Contrary to popular belief, people don't make fun of you if you didn't go to Sarah's party or John's VIP booth at the club.
- With that said, BE SAFE! Try to go places with one or more friends, watch out for each other. Don't set your drink somewhere, leave, and then go pick it up again. Alcohol will always be associated with college and in no way am I encouraging drinking but if you do choose to drink DO NOT DRIVE UNDER THE INFLUENCE!!! Your life matters and so do the lives of other people. Yes, DUIs exist, yes people die in drunk-driving accidents, yes it can happen to you or someone you love. Driving under the influence of anything is illegal and is not worth the consequences. Be safe!
I hope these tips were helpful and if you have any tips of your own please share them in the comments below. I hope everyone has a great school year and to everyone graduating this year, we're almost there! Until next time...
All My Love,
Tyler 💜