6 Things to Consider While Preparing for College

By Crystal Ladwig, Ph. D.

You’ve read a lot of college advice, and it’s starting to sound like the teacher in those old Charlie Brown cartoons. This article is going to assume you’ve already gotten sick of the same old tips stated in sage tones from someone who probably last attended class in 1992.

First, neither a lender nor a borrower be—

Just kidding. If you haven’t already, you might read about Polonius, who spouted exactly the kind of bromides we’re trying to avoid. But first, here are the quick hits:

1. Food

You know how you prefer to eat, but your schedule is about to change. In that first week you want to give yourself all support and time saving boosts you can.

Stock up on a few healthy, protein packed alternatives to full meals, just in case you’re too tired or too busy (or too lazy) to cook. For example, raw unsalted nuts, dried fruits, dark chocolate drops, un-sugared peanut butter, and whole grain bread. There are a lot of foods that boost cognitive functions, so do a little research and

It has been proven that your diet directly affects your brain, so this is not something that should be taken lightly. Your body and brain need good calories, especially when focusing on new learning material, and a small dish of trail mix next to your books and screen can be a life saver.

2. Sleep

They say soldiers have a mantra about down time: lying down > sitting > standing.

We’re not trying to compare student life to war, only borrowing a practice that makes sense: take full advantage of down time, max out relaxation, grab sleep and stock up on it as much as you can, or just get those feet up and let your mind wander. Students can’t always just cork off. Often their brains are too full to sleep easily. Sometimes they find themselves needing to stay up way too late to finish that paper or study for that test, but this isn’t even that effective. So grab as much sleep as possible. One added bonus? Your brain is organizing the things you have learned, even when you sleep. But seriously, your brain performs several beneficial functions while you are sleeping, so getting that shut-eye is imperative.

3. Talk to your peers

Words help align our minds. We don’t always know if the thoughts we’re just now opening up are worth anything until we are able to speak them, with fits, starts, mistakes, and even a little chagrin along the way. Take advantage of classroom settings to talk about what you’re learning together, or even go out and talk about nothing having to do with studies. Your classmates are in the adventure with you, if you give each other a chance to share it. Words and sentences, forming them yourself and making errors, help you learn lessons on deeper levels, faster than if you stay cloistered in your own thoughts. Plus, the benefits of finding a peer group to be a part of are far-reaching. Setting aside some time to be social will boost your mental and physical health.

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4. Choose the right classes

Many new students read the course catalogue, compare it with graduation requirements and their schedule, and that’s it. They learn later how amazing it can be when the professor is great, or just happens to click. Take a little extra time if you have options to compare, to find out more about the professor. Rate My Teacher is often misleading. Ignore the rating, but read the reviews. Those teachers that are considered unfair, inconsistent, or even mean are often just challenging. Many students look back with abiding, lifelong gratitude at those professors who pushed them and challenged their assumptions.

Going further, make sure you ask the hard questions early on. Business or accounting? Maybe pursue an online degree in something unique, like fire science? Minor or no minor? You don’t need to have an answer right away, but it thinking about these early on will lead to more informed decisions down the road.

5. Don't bite off more than you can chew

Some say the best possible thing to do when that happens is: chew like mad. Put another way, the ideal state for being successful in college, and in life, is in that area between staying too still, and overwhelming challenge. A bit on the edge and you risk falling over. Find out when the deadline is for dropping a class. Hopefully you won’t ever have to take advantage of the out, but if you’re just overwhelmed, consider dropping a class before the deadline, without looking back. A big part of being successful and happy in college is finding the right balance for you.

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6. College is an adventure

New students often become disillusioned with the day-to-day humdrum of books, lectures, papers, studies, and tests. But think back to any great adventure you’ve ever heard about. From ancient world religions to hero’s journeys, grand histories and recollections, Lord of the Rings to Star Wars and so many other tales, they go into the grind heroes must endure.

The motif of slaying a dragon is a depiction of what our minds go through when we face travails. You aren’t pretending to be an adventurer as a student—you are one. This adventure has a direct, immediate effect on how you will be better able to navigate the world in the future. Part of it is the slog. But in the end, it’s about trying to find your passions.

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