Life can get hard to navigate, when you are in college. Even the slightest of mistakes can prove to be very costly to your academics, as well as your personal life. Thus, you will have to do whatever is necessary to avoid making these 5 mistakes in college.
Top 5 College Freshmen Mistakes To Avoid
To help you out, here is a list of five “what not to do” things in college.
Relying on Slides Alone
Given how quickly a semester can pass, college students often tend to study just the class slides. That allows them more time to cram more lessons within a short period. Doing so can be detrimental, especially if you are not well familiar with the main content of those lessons.
Instead of relying on the slides alone, focus on making and studying class notes. Spend some time at the library to go through the various course materials available there, also it might be beneficial for you to study some books for college students that address the common issues faced by freshman. Studying books is a much better option, even if it is more time-consuming. Books can help you better understand the content, as well as tackle any sort of query you might have. After going through the books, you can then look forward to studying extra materials on the internet.
Comparing Yourself to Others
Never compare yourself to other students in your class. Most people in college will start comparing themselves with the more successful ones around them. However, doing so can make them less confident about themselves. These kids get negative ideas about their performance and start thinking that they are doomed forever.
Making comparisons will never help you in college. Success will eventually reach your doorsteps if you strive for it. It may take a bit more time for you than it did for your peers. However, you will eventually get there if you keep at it.
So stop comparing yourself with others. Instead, seek help with your studies if you need it. Some of you might not want to ask your more successful friends for help with courses, homework, and assignments. And that is fine. You can instead take help from the various online tutoring and homework assistance platforms available to you.
Skipping Group Study Sessions
IMO participating in group study sessions is the top freshman tip. They work wonders for improving your academics. Whether you are in it for solving a difficult homework assignment or preparing for a literature review. Do not miss out on group studies unless you absolutely must.
An effective group study session will help you clear out a lot of your confusion and queries. You too can provide your valuable input and share your knowledge to help others. There is no way an effective study session with your friends or peers will go to waste.
Prioritizing Work Over Your Studies
Having a part-time job in college is pretty common. Apart from helping to pad the wallet and mange your budget, many also use this opportunity to bolster their resume. Plenty of college kids take up part-time jobs in professions that line with their college major or can contribute to their skill development. Thus, working such jobs is never a bad thing.
However, prioritizing these jobs over your studies will do you no good. It will instead hurt your academic performance. That can happen especially if you are working overtime, or cannot adjust your studies during your workdays. Hence, it is vital that you know your limits, and draw a line between your job and studies.
Juggling the two will be tedious at first, but you will eventually get the hang of it. Always avoid taking up more work or responsibilities than you can handle. Many of you might have to make do without a part-time job if you see that it is hampering your academics to a great extent.
Also Read: Passive Income Ideas
Not Taking Deadlines Seriously
In college, you will have to deal with numerous deadlines. Many of them will come on short notice. The more you procrastinate and delay your submissions, the harder it will become to cope with your academics.
Ideally, you would want to finish everything at least a day before the deadline. That will become difficult to manage at one stage, in which case you have to complete most of the work as early as possible. Setting up a routine for managing your deadline works very well for this. The key is to not divert from your routine and strictly adhere to it.
Conclusion
These 5 mistakes in college are just the tip of the ice berg. There are many other mistakes college freshman make that hinder them in achieving their best potential. However, hard work and perseverance will never fail you. Having read these most common mistakes try to stay away from them as much as possible to succeed in college as well as to reap the benefits once you get into your professional life.
What problems are you facing or faced as a freshman in college? Do share by commenting below!
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