There might be a lot of advice out there telling you what to do in order to survive and thrive during your college days, but if there’s one important thing you must remember, it’s  do your best during the freshman year. This will be the foundation for the rest of your stay in college. You don’t want your college life to be lived in an endless drudge, do you? So read on to learn how to balance academic work and social activities. This is the key in establishing an effective lifestyle, which can be useful for you when you transition into the world of working professionals.

Learn to organize- The key to being on top of your schedule and activities is by keeping track of them properly through organization and planning. Failure to plan ahead will lead to stressful situations in the future.  When you plan and organize, you’ll be setting yourself up for a great start and you’ll be calm and relaxed when deadlines come. One trick to do is to have all your assignments done and exams studied ahead of time. Keep a schedule notebook where you can write all reminders, memos and schedules. You can also check out online for some phone applications that may totally help you manage everything.

Maintain a healthy lifestyle. College is not an excuse to neglect your health, especially if you’re living in a dorm. Stop making excuses so that you won’t end up gaining weight your first year, then stressing out the rest of your college years, make an effort to lose them. Maintain a varied diet by not living on fast food and late night deliveries only. Also, don’t skimp on sleep because it will affect your academic work, as well as your weight!

Be socially active. Join a club, fraternity, sorority, or the student council. Sign-up for a sports team, work on a play, or attend social events. These extracurricular activities will help you meet new people and make connections that will be helpful personally and academically in the future.

Manage your finances well. Beware of the credit card trap. Instead, find a job if you’re short on cash. Interest charged by credit cards are a waste of your money and a job is a great boost to your resume in the future. But before applying for one, make sure you’ve already organized and planned your classes and study time. The extra money you’ll earn from a job won’t be worth it if you start to lag behind  your classes.

Take time to relax. To keep stress at bay, schedule time off to unwind. Also, call home to hear the familiar voice of your family and friends to help ease the transition of college life.

College is one of the gateway towards the real world. It will test your maturity in handling responsibilities, making important decisions, and following through with your plan to establish the path for a future career. This stage is a great transition, especially for those of you who will be moving into a dorm and away from your home. The adjustment might seem frightening at first, but with preparation, your college experience will be one of the most significant adventures you’ll ever embark on in your life!

Authors Byline:

This post was written by Smith Tanny, a founder at Roomdock.com. Roomdock.com helps international and domestic students find an affordable and nearest housing accommodation near campus.

We welcome your feedback to our work.

Email:  General Information   |   Prof. David C. Pecoraro

Thank you!

Daniel & David

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Transitioning to College: Freshman Hacks