The independence that comes with college life can be exhilarating and liberating—but it also comes with responsibility, collegiette. Having class for only four hours a day sounds awesome, but it doesn’t mean that you should surf YouTube and online shop your days away. Managing your time wisely is what can make or break your first year of college, so it’s important to have some idea of how you’ll handle all your glorious free time. Her Campus is here to help you with that by taking common high school activities and translating them to college life, so you won’t fall victim to procrastination or get lost in a mountain of unread notes during dreaded midterm week.
During high school you… had sports practice right after school.
In college you should… go to the gym right after class.
Why: Depending on where your classes, dorm, and fitness center are located, sometimes scheduling workouts can be more difficult than you realize. Factor in a shower afterwards with time to make it to your next class or social event and it’s enough to make a collegiette blow off the whole thing. So in order to avoid wasting a good workout day watching Bachelorette reruns, figure out at the beginning of each week how many times you want to work out and when it would be most convenient to go. Write it down in your planner or put a reminder on your phone, so you remember to bring your workout gear with you that day. And once you decide to go, follow through! You wouldn’t blow off high school soccer practice, would you?
During high school you… had a study hall period every day.
In college you should… treat your breaks in between class like study periods.
Why: You may have an hour or two break before your next class, and a nap sounds oh so tempting. But just say no, collegiette! Instead of sleeping or goofing off in between class, bring homework or books with you and find somewhere to study. You don’t have to go all the way back to your dorm; it could be at the library, the student center, or a local coffee shop. Giving yourself time to catch up on schoolwork during the day also frees up your nights, leaving you more time to catch up on your beauty rest and relax.
During high school you… woke up the same time, five days a week.
In college you should… wake up the same time, five days a week.
Why: Adjusting to a sleeping schedule in college can be hard—sometimes your neighbors are loud or your roommates keep you up at night. Not to mention pulling all-nighters and college feeling like one huge slumber party. By going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day during the week you’ll get the right amount of sleep each night and your body will feel more rested. So even if class doesn’t start at the same time every day, try to get yourself on a consistent sleep schedule – it does wonders in the long run. Check out what happens if you don’t get enough sleep in college and you’ll be scheduling a bedtime every night!
During high school you… did your hair and makeup every morning before class.
In college you should… embrace your natural beauty.
Why: It sounds cheesy, but that doesn’t mean it’s not true! Don’t let me stop you from rocking a great outfit and killer hair to class, but depending on the feel of the campus, chances are most students go for a more casual look during the week. So wear what you feel most comfortable in—whether it’s skinny jeans and a fierce top or a hoodie and leggings, as long as you still look somewhat pulled-together. You can pick certain days of the week when you want to dress up for class or other commitments, and on off days wear a more relaxed outfit.
During high school you… had homework assignments to complete at night on a regular basis.
In college you should… devote an hour each night to reviewing notes from class that day, doing the reading, or getting started on future assignments.
Why: Depending on the class, sometimes your entire grade is based on three tests for the entire semester (or even fewer!). No homework or extra credit to fall back on. In order to ensure that you kick butt in your classes you should go over what was taught that day, so instead of learning and then forgetting you’ll be committing it to memory. These ten study tips to get you back in school mode will get you on the right track. Yes, boring we know. But you’ll thank us when test time comes and everyone’s cramming to learn a month of material and you’ve been studying it for a few hours each week already.