Seize The Day!

College goes by fast. You may be thinking right now that four years is a long time in college, how can it go by fast? Well before you know it, you’ll be walking across that stage accepting your degree.

College goes by fast starting from day 1- move in day. Move in day will be a crazy day, but enjoy it and be appreciative of the people helping you- most importantly, relax. Once you get in the swing of college life, it will fly by and your life may revolve around important exam dates, papers and projects.

I’m here to say enjoy it all. Take advantage of your opportunities. Once you’re out of college, you may wish you were back in college! Enjoy your classes and learn all you can, even in the ones that you think you won’t enjoy because once you’re out of college, you may end up wishing that you enjoyed that class more because now you have an interest in that topic or author.

Look for opportunities- get that minor in psychology or history or math. Speaking from experience, I found out two days before the end of my senior year in college that I was one class away from a minor in a subject I was really interested in, and therefore I lost out on that opportunity since I was graduating. Research requirements for minors and majors- your academic advisor has a lot of students to advise and sign up for classes and that’s possibly on top of their own lesson planning and teaching. In other words, they won’t remember if you’re a class away from a minor in a certain subject- that’s something you have to do the leg work and research yourself.

Your college courses and classwork are very important, but don’t ignore your friends and not build relationships with people. Take the opportunities to go out for coffee once in a while or go shopping with friends. It is important to have a balance between your classes and your life outside of classes.

Enjoy every moment and seize the day! 

Being Prepared While at College

You never know what can happen at college. You may have your list of things you want to bring and then things you need to bring such as snacks, but you also need to be prepared and try to anticipate other events that may happen.

I speak from experience…when I was staying in the college dorms and apartments, there were two separate occasions where bad weather happened and there were travel restrictions. And the college apartments lost electricity…and this happened in cold winter months. That meant no cooking in the college apartment, no light to do homework, uncharged phones and computers, and it was really, really cold. Remember the travel restrictions I mentioned? That meant that none of us could go home. Luckily there was minimal emergency power and lights in the apartments main hallway which meant a lot of people huddling to charge phones and laptops, but this went on for almost one miserable week.

Of course, my example was an extreme real life example and what may happen to you may just be a minor power outage. However, always have extra blankets, snacks and food that don’t need to be refrigerated, and extra batteries and flashlights/battery powered lanterns easily available. It is an even better idea to have flashlights around that don’t require batteries- they just need to be wound up to charge. Most importantly, don’t hide these things away in an area that you’re going to forget later where you put them! Maybe have a designated spot in your closet or under your bed for these items. You don’t want to have to hunt for them when you really need them only to finally find them on move out day at the end of the school year! Also, have a good attitude through it all- after all, it is happening to everyone in your dorms. Who knows- maybe you’ll make a new friend while you’re both huddling in the dorm hall doing homework while wrapped up blankets!

I hope this never happens to any of you, but it might and it’s always good to be prepared for it!

Your Dorm Room Decor And Why It Matters

Your dorm room décor is about more than making your area pretty. When you create a space for yourself, a home away from home, it helps beat homesickness. Your décor does this through making a comfortable space for yourself.

Your dorm room is a small area shared with someone who in most cases you’ve never met before. You may get along (hopefully you do!), you may not, but you still need to create a personal relaxing space for yourself.

Your room temperature may be the last thing on your mind. The reality is, in most cases your dorm room will not have a thermostat which means you can’t control the temperature in your room. This also means your dorm room can be really cold or warm. Also, even if you can control the temperature in your room, you have another person in the room that you need to compromise with. Therefore, whether your college is in a warm environment or a cold environment, it is a good idea to come prepared with a few thick blankets and comforters. Especially if your college is in a cold, wintry environment and your roommate always has the window open (I know this from personal experience).

When decorating your dorm room, you want décor that expresses your personality and reminds you home so you don’t get lonely. That means filling your dorm room with a mix of new and old. Photos of your family, your favorite blanket since you were younger, decorative breakables or even stuffed animals and posters are great items to bring to remind you of home whether you are an hour away or on the other side of the world. The most important part of your décor is to make it yours. Don’t worry what anyone will say about your stuffed bear you’ve had since you were a baby or a faded blanket- if it reminds you of home, comforts you and gets you through until the next time you see your family and friends, don’t hesitate to bring it! And don’t hesitate to call home to hear a loved one’s voice when you’re feeling lonely. It will help you get through tough nights, and they will appreciate it, too.

When picking out décor for your room, remember that it is an already small space that you are also sharing with another person- don’t bring too much! If you’re packing up your car and you start wondering if all of it will fit in your dorm room, it may be best to leave what isn’t necessary at home and get it later if it turns out you could have brought it. 

Managing Your Finances

Your freshman year at college may be the first time you are on your own. If you have a job while in college, it is important to budget your finances. You may dread doing it and procrastinate, but it is important to figure up a monthly budget while you are away. The good part is once you do it, as much as you were dreading it, it’s done and you don’t have to do it again unless something changes!

As a freshman, you may not have many bills that you have to pay each month, but you should still figure up your budget. This will help cut down on unnecessary spending, especially when you’re lonely.

When working on your budget, take into account all your monthly bills, a food allowance if you need to, as well as an allowance for gas in your car if you have one or public transportation. Once all of these necessary items are accounted for, then designate an amount that you want to save each month. This is also a necessary and important part because if next month your schedule at work changes and you don’t have as many hours, you won’t be stressing that you don’t have money for your bills- you have some saved up!

After you think of all the not fun stuff, then allow yourself a certain amount to have fun with. And it shouldn't be the balance of your monthly amount, either.

It may be hard at first to get used to following a budget, especially when you want to spend more on the fun stuff, but it will be worth it. You don’t want to get lonely then go shopping and come back with $100 of clothes or books and not be able to pay your bills next month or not go out with your friends. Splurging on all those clothes may make you feel good at the time, but it won’t later and a budget will help you manage that your first time living on your own.