So you’re starting college soon. It’s a big deal, especially if you’ll be living away from home for the first time. While the amazing experiences ahead will be accompanied by some challenges along the way, there are key life skills that will help you stay on the path to graduation. Mastering these five things could make a difference for you before, during, and after college.
1. Manage your time. You won’t have people there to remind you it’s time to go to class, study, do laundry, or even when to eat and sleep. Learning what activities to prioritize will help you keep your commitments and avoid unnecessary stress. “How to manage others is a valuable skill, especially as you advance in your career, but we often overlook the skill of self-management,” says Ransom Patterson, editor-in-chief at collegeinfogeek.com. “Managing yourself is what much of ‘productivity’ advice is really about.”
Patterson and other experts suggest learning to keep a reliable calendar and set reminders. Find a system that works for you, whether it’s an online resource, app, or your own combination of old-school and digital tools. Managing your time also requires discipline and self-awareness, which you can’t get from an app. Ultimately, it’s about being accountable for taking care of yourself and your responsibilities.
2. Take notes and study. You’re going to be learning new information and concepts at a faster rate than ever before. Even if it seems overwhelming at times, you can keep up by taking good notes on the main points. Think of it as leaving breadcrumbs you can retrace as you study. While putting pen to paper has been shown to trigger more brain activity and facilitate better recollection, how you write things down is your decision. Whether you go analog or digital, figure out your note-taking method and stick to it.
When it’s time to study, decide what that will look like. “One style of studying does not make a person a better student than another, so play to your strengths,” advises Robert Farrington, founder and CEO of The College Investor. If you are a visual person, perhaps you can make illustrations to serve as study aids. If words and phrases help you recall bigger concepts, consider using notecards as you prepare for quizzes and exams.
3. Budget your money. In addition to tuition, fees, and books, you’ll have new living expenses and the occasional unexpected bill to pay. “If you’re like most college students, this is your first time having to budget and manage money on your own,” observes Farrington. “Using your bank's website isn't going to cut it anymore as you get older. You're going to have more accounts, more bills, more to keep track of.”
To plan expenditures and monitor your accounts, Farrington suggests using tools like Mint or Marcus Insights (formerly Clarity Money) to stay on top of the numbers. His other top 50 tips include having a free checking account and a no-fee student credit card, paying all bills on time, borrowing as little as possible, filling out the FASFA every year, and getting a job if you can manage it with your schedule.
4. Stay healthy and safe. Staying up late, eating junk food, and drinking a beer (when you’re of legal age) may seem like fun, but beware of overdoing these double-edged freedoms. If you can establish good habits and allow yourself the occasional indulgence, you’ll feel better and it will be easier to stay on track with coursework. Regular exercise can also be a great way to release stress, refocus, and stay in (or get in) good shape. In addition, your well-being at college will require being aware of your physical safety when on campus and observing any COVID-19 protocols.
There’s also your mental and emotional health to consider. Mental health professionals emphasize that talking about issues like depression, anxiety, addiction, and eating and sleep disorders can be immensely helpful. Every college has no-cost mental health services you should be able to access confidentially. Support groups and off-campus services can also be great resources.
5. Socialize and keep your school-life balance. “Even the most introverted need to interact with other people once in a while,” notes Farrington. “Like time management, while being social comes naturally to some people, the good news is that it is a very learnable skill.” Parties are one way to meet other students and get the benefits of a social life, but you have other options such as college clubs for sports, music, reading, drama, and various dimensions of diversity. There are also groups like AISES where you can meet people who share your Native heritage (if your school doesn’t have a chapter, consider starting one).
Go at your own pace. You will get to know more people as you take more classes and try new things; the relationships that last usually develop over time, not overnight. If you prioritize your studies, keep yourself healthy, and allow yourself to have some fun as you go, you’ll be establishing skills that will help you succeed in college and in life.
On Topic
Wyatt Jewett, Cheyenne River Lakota, is a graduate of Columbia University. He is Ivy Native Council president and an AISES Sequoyah Fellow. Jewett currently works as a research assistant for Missouri Breaks Industries Research, Inc.
What are some surprising realities of living away from home for the first time?
Although some realities — such as the loneliness that initially comes from missing your support system — are expected, I would say that the surprising realities are that life is expensive, life happens whether you want it to or not, and there is so much good that can come from living away from home. I had to learn a little financial literacy, including personal financial management and budgeting, but that came with experience. Also, life outside school was tough for me in my undergraduate experience with the loss of my mother and my father being diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome and becoming partially handicapped while I was 1,500 miles away. That was a reality that hit me and although it may be sad to hear, others may face the same or similar challenges. Living away from home also brings some realities that are awesome. Being on your own gets lonely here and there, but you get a chance to have your own space to figure out your own brand, to realize the strengths you carry, to appreciate the little things, to learn more about responsibilities and prioritization, to blast music in your room or shower if you want to, and so much more.
How can students prepare for their first bout of “adulting” in college?
I would suggest finding some sort of mentor who can help, whether that is a parent, a grandparent, an auntie or uncle, a coach, or an older student on campus, as they likely have a few answers that would help with the “adult” things.
What are the top five life skills everyone should learn before leaving for college?
Those skills have to be, in no particular order: self-discipline and accountability; the courage and humility to seek out and utilize resources when questions or challenges arise; the ability to take on challenges with a good attitude; effective communication and networking; and adaptability. Nobody tells you what to do in college, so self-discipline is important. Communication and networking are important, especially on those days when self-motivation and discipline are lacking — your friends will be there to push you along. With nobody to tell you what to do, college (and life in general) can be tough to navigate at times. You need to be comfortable asking questions and accessing resources. Adaptability is an extremely important life skill because the “punches” will come from all sides: life, a tough exam or quiz, an argument, tough day, and so on. Sometimes all you can do is roll with it and keep moving forward. And generally speaking, having a good attitude makes life better.
While the special adults in a student’s life are often just a phone call away, where else can students turn when phoning home isn’t an option?
Some other resources students can tap would likely include friends, an academic advisor, a mentor, or even prayers. There were many times when the special adults in my life were unavailable, but I had friends to vent to, to share my struggles with, to let loose with. When those people were also busy with their own papers or exams, I always had my beliefs, my ancestors, or my mother to call upon or pray to. I know not everyone is religious, but having something like that to lean on was helpful for me, especially in the toughest times.
