5 Back to School Survival Tips

I’m going back to school for my senior year and want to make the most out of every second. Looking back on my years in college and abroad I have learned many life lessons in school, academics, friends, goals – as well as mistakes. Here are a few survival tips I’ve learned along the way for those of you heading back to school.

1. Be Nice

A lot of times this is easier said than done. You’re going to meet a lot of people in college, a lot. Some will be your best friends for a week; some will be your best friends for your entire life. You will meet people in class who can help you out immensely if you’re nice to them on a daily basis. The same goes for your teachers, don’t talk back to them, don’t act like you’re smarter than them.

Throughout college you’ll hear the word “network” a lot, and the older you get, the more often you’ll hear it. Networking is basically meeting people and using them for connections or to get you further in life, you know how to make more connections? Be Nice. This also goes for relationships you have with people. Don’t talk smack. It will turn around and bite you in the butt, especially when you’re out at a party. Drunk people love confrontation.

Be nice, especially to those amazing teachers and friends you’ll have for a lifetime.

2. Use Resources

You pay a lot of money to go to college, and some of that money goes to your school’s amazing resources. This includes a workout facility, library, computers, labs, online libraries… the list is endless. Use these resources! Many schools have free tutors and people who will edit papers for you tap into these resources.

3. Be Smart

Don’t cheat. A lot of colleges have cameras in rooms, as well as proctors, during exams. Don’t plagiarize. Be smart by being organized, sticking to a schedule, getting your work done, and sleeping 8 hours a night.  You’re old enough to know a dumb decision when it’s in front of you.

4. Speak Up and Shut Up

When we were in first grade, we learned that there was no such thing as a dumb question. That’s a lie. Think before you talk, whether it is in class, to your friends, teachers, everyone. Don’t just talk to hear your own voice.

And listen. People don’t listen enough. At the same time, ask questions, be curious, and ask about what you don’t know about. Stop talking about yourself. As we learned from fellow college redditors, no one really cares that much except for you.

5. Have Fun

Maintain a balance of working hard and playing hard. Get your work done, and don’t go out the night before an exam. But don’t stay in on a Saturday night when all your friends are getting dressed up and going out! Enjoy these four years; they fly by.

Any other survival tips for those going back to school?

Featured photo credit: JimmyMac210 via photo pin cc