I recently graduated with my bachelor’s degree and began a graduate program two months later. Although the transition was quick, it wasn’t as simple as I thought it would be. It was really emotionally hard for me. I absolutely loved my college experience, even the not-so-easy parts. My four years of undergrad played a crucial role in the cultivation of the person I am and the person I aspire to be. I’ve learned a lot on my own, but I still wish that someone told me what to do to make the most of my experience in college. To pay it forward, I’m passing that knowledge to current students. And I’m hoping it will help someone else have the best experience possible.
One of the most important things I’ve learned during my time in college was the importance of time management. You never realize how precious time is until midterms come and you suddenly have no time to do anything.
Thus, get ahead whenever you can, because you never know when something is going to come up at the last minute. Spend your time wisely and try different organizational techniques such as to-do lists. Remember to be productive whenever you can. Instead of endlessly scrolling through Instagram or Twitter, put your phone down and get the most important tasks out of the way. Social media can wait.
Everybody procrastinates so don’t worry if it happens to you on occasion. However, remember how fortunate you are to be able to study and attend college — it’s a privilege that not everyone can afford. To have access to education is such a precious gift. So my best advice is to do everything you can to learn and grow. Absorb all the knowledge you can.
While your education is definitely a priority, it isn’t the only thing that makes up your college experience.
Getting to know people on campus and becoming involved with social groups were two of my favorite activities in college. With that being said, another huge lesson I’ve learned during undergrad was the importance of balance. In the field of occupational therapy, we have a term called occupational balance. This means the harmony and equality between all of the activities that make up our lives. It emphasizes that in order to have the best quality of life, we need to maintain a healthy balance between education, work, social time, leisure, etc. This is especially important in college.
Photo by Liudmila Luchkina on Unsplash
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