College is your first step into adulthood, where you start taking ownership over your education, everyday activities, and future. As liberating and exciting college is, those who have gone through it may not have shared with you these four harsh truths about the real college experience:
You Need to Protect Yourself
Your time in college is a time of freedom that comes with the added responsibility of protecting yourself from unwanted trouble. If you stay at your college dorm or a new apartment with housemates you are not familiar with, keeping to a curfew and locking your door when you are out or asleep are some key precautions you can take daily for safety.
If you are active on social media, sharing excessive details about your daily activities and whereabouts can be dangerous. Whether your social media accounts are public or private, select selectively and block out sensitive information in your social media posts to reduce the risks of cyberstalking. Additionally, activating emergency alerts on your devices, knowing and keeping to your alcohol limit, and having trusted friends to look out for you during your nights out can also help keep you safe.
However, despite your best efforts to protect yourself, there is a chance that you may find yourself in trouble; continue reading here to learn how to safeguard yourself in these unforeseen circumstances.
You Need Sleep
It may be normal to pull all-nighters or nurse a sleep debt in college but you shouldn’t mistake these unhealthy behaviors as a badge of honor. While you have more flexibility in spending your time than in high school, juggling too many commitments or procrastinating may compromise your health and academics.
Your body may be able to recover from all-nighters and overly packed schedules in a few days, but a prolonged sleep deficit will cause you to fall sick easily. Prioritize your commitments and delegate sufficient time for each of them. A tip to do this effectively is acknowledging that your energy level varies throughout the day.
When are you most awake and alert? Schedule your study sessions during your most productive and creative blocks and save your not-so-productive blocks to run errands, rest, and engage in leisure. Understanding your body and planning your time around your body’s natural rhythm will help you focus on your commitments better and rest adequately. In the long run, you can also avoid burnout – a common struggle that many students face in college.
You Will Feel Lonely (A Lot)
You may have moved to a different state or country for college, being away from your family and childhood friends for the first time. While learning to manage your academics, finances, meals, and laundry amongst other responsibilities, you are also learning how to manage these long-distance relationships with your loved ones back home.
However, drifting apart from your loved ones due to different priorities and conflicting schedules can happen. And the lack of connection with your family and friends can cause you to feel lonely and lost, especially as you start to consider your career and future more seriously.
You may also realize that the people you hit off well at the start of college are not the friends you want to keep close. Instead of forcing yourself to spend time with them, keep yourself open to meeting new people – you may find others with whom you can connect more meaningfully.
Keeping yourself available also means that you can learn to enjoy your company. Many people struggle to spend time alone as they fear that others will judge them. But being alone is nothing to be ashamed of, and it doesn’t have to equate to being lonely. Spending time in solitude has numerous benefits, including helping us decompress, develop our unique interests, and connect more deeply with others.
You Still Have Time After College
We are no strangers to regrets. After graduating, you may wish you had completed more internships and participated in more campus activities. Time in college may pass fast, but there is still time outside of college to learn and experience what you couldn’t accomplish then. Trust that you have made the best decisions to maximize your time in college, with the circumstances then.
In addition, don’t let your “failures” in college stop you from trying similar ventures post-graduation. Writing papers and taking examinations are a part of college, and this means that there will be times when your grades fall below your expectation.
Performed poorly on your public relations module in college? It doesn’t mean that you can’t pursue a career in public relations; you can still learn how to develop and craft a press release in your freelance writing career or at your job. Your grades in college won’t dictate your success after graduation so long as you embrace a growth mindset and challenge yourself meaningfully.