When it comes to having a successful college experience, the path that every student takes will be different. What works well for one student may not work for another. Following common, basic principles may set you up for a fulfilling and successful time at college. There are countless tips for forming and sticking to habits that help you get the most out of college, including getting good grades, doing well on exams, and living a flourishing social life, but we will only be covering a few of them. Keep reading to learn more, and for more information about our college catering services, give us a call today.
Make a Daily Priority List
A great way to stay motivated and organized is by creating a checklist of things that need to be completed each day. They can be in order of priority, so the things that need to be completed sooner than later, or immediately, will be first, and the tasks that can be completed towards the end of the week can be at the bottom. This keeps you stay on top of everything and helps make sure nothing surprises you and stresses you out. The more tasks completed and checked off, the more motivated and rewarded you will feel!
Prioritize Health and Wellbeing
It’s important to remember that you need to support your body and your mind if you expect your body and your mind to support you. While your physical, emotional, and mental health may feel like they are less important than focusing on your schoolwork, you truly cannot sacrifice one for the other. Academic success relies on a healthy mind and body, not to mention, a healthy body is a habit of successful college students. It can boost your confidence, give you more energy to study, and help you combat the inevitable stress and anxiety of college.
Try to get as much sleep as you can. While this may be a challenge on the nights you spend studying for a test or finishing a paper, sleep is imperative for clear thinking. Your schedule may also make it challenging to eat real food, like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and meat, but do your best to squeeze in nutritious meals that feel both your body and your soul. It may help to cook regularly and meal prep so even on those busy days, you have food that is already made, helping you avoid spending money on food that won’t give you anything more than gas.
If you can’t go to the gym, or have no interest in doing so, that’s fine! Try to move your body in a way that feels good and makes you feel energized. This may be yoga, taking a walk, taking a short run, or swimming. It is amazing how much new energy you can get from moving your body, and how refreshing it is.
Practice Gratitude
If you are unfamiliar with practicing gratitude, don’t worry, it’s really easy. Little mental changes that you make every day can actually start to make a big difference in how you look at the world around you. Every morning, or at least every day, write down three things that you are grateful for in your life. Maybe it’s the sunrise in the morning, your cup of coffee, your doggo, or your family. It changes your mindset and makes you more likely to notice the positives than the negatives, which is extremely helpful, especially in stressful times.
Build Relationships
You’ve heard it before, and you’ll keep hearing it until you are done with school — college is a great place for networking, and if you are not taking advantage of the networking opportunities, you are missing out. Successful students work to actively build relationships with professors, teachers, and other faculty members at their school or university. When you do this, build your network of people who are from all different age groups. Why? Because you will learn about opportunities you would otherwise miss, and you will find people who can write you recommendations for jobs and scholarships.
This may seem daunting, but it is anything but. Not only does your school provide you with opportunities to meet professionals in your desired field, you can also introduce yourself to professors at your school who are in your desired career. Introduce yourself to teachers, shake their hand, and let them know what you want to do. They will likely want to help in some way, and may forward you to someone else, which expands your network.
Set Goals, Both Short- and Long-Term
Setting goals and reaching them really gets the momentum going on success. Having goals gives you a sense of direction in your college journey and pushes you to go forward when you’re not sure what lies ahead. Write down your goals and make them realistic. You can choose to reach for the stars, but be wary about consistently doing this, as failed attempts to meet goals can hurt and demotivate you. Setting these goals can also give you something to look forward to, a focal point that is a launchpad to your next goal or step in life.
Keep Your Ear to the Ground
College is a huge place for opportunities. They are literally all around you, but only if you are willing to look for them, and know where to look. You can find opportunities by paying attention to bulletin boards around campus, and following university departments on social media, including your professors and the departments that you are part of. If anything, keep a consistent line of communication between you and your professors so you are the first to know if something is happening.
There are plenty of more ways to form and stick to successful habits, these are just a few! Once you get settled in and start to find your groove, start looking for ways you can make both your social and academic experience better, and before you know it, you’ll be walking across the stage to grab your diploma. For more information about our college catering services, or our meal plans for fraternities and sororities, give us a call today.