8. Maintain a balance when it comes to social events. Learning is the reason you are in college, but learning is not restricted to the classroom! It is important to make time for relationships, for getting to know new people, and for having fun together. Still, there are always more social events than it is possible to attend (and still be able to sleep, eat, study, and maintain homeostasis). Carefully balance your studies with social time. God made us to be relational, but that does not mean Starbucks runs with your roommates every single night or movies every weekend.
9. Don’t buy all your books new! A sophomore encouraged me to shop Half.com. If you aren’t familiar with Half.com, it is a branch of Ebay. However, unlike Ebay, you do not have to auction on books– you just buy them. It’s great because the condition of the book is listed (i.e. how used it is, whether it has markings, what the cover looks like, etc). You will save lots of money by buying used books. However, particularly because of shipping costs, sometimes a place like Amazon.com is actually cheaper. And if you have a wonderful college bookstore (with fair prices), that may be the best way to go. I recommend asking upperclassmen at your college to find out where and how they get their books. And comparison shop for your books.
As far as editions go, in some classes, the teacher will inform you that it does not matter. If you are allowed to purchase an older edition, go for it! Older editions can be purchased used very inexpensively. With most textbooks, newer editions vary only slightly from the preceding one. Still, if a certain edition is required, you are better off spending the extra money to get it. It makes reading assignments, study groups, and using the teacher’s study guides so much easier.
10. Sleep. This is a hard one to write about because I know how difficult it is to get sleep in college. I stay up late all too many nights only to struggle through 8AM classes the next morning. And yes, there are times when you may need to stay up later to finish a project or study for an upcoming test. There may be times when a fun college event keeps you up late. Still, God gave us sleep because our bodies need it. Unlike the Maker of the Universe, we have limitations and one of these is the fact that we depend upon sleep for energy. Sleep should not become an idol, but at the same time, it is very important. I have found from personal experience that getting enough sleep is one of the ways I can make the best use of my time. Depriving the body of adequate sleep (which, by the way, is eight to ten hours for teenagers) for long amounts of time is not healthy. Recognize your limitations, and try to get enough sleep whenever you can. Take naps during the day, too, if you need them. Don’t live off of caffeine and soda.
Your input: if you have experienced your first semester of college (even if it was fifty years ago) and have advice, personal anecdotes, or if you need to correct me, please feel free to comment below. I’m sure readers would appreciate it, and I know I will appreciate it!
All of your points look great. Thank you for taking the time to compile what you’ve learned.
I agree with Hannah… these points are great! I would say that it is so important to maintain a balance between being diligent with your homework and social activities. As a freshman, I swung too far on the homework side… as a junior, too far on the social side. You’re there for schoolwork. Diligence is a must. And yet you’re also there to build relationships and invest in the lives of those around you, so being too task-oriented is not a good thing, either.
Again, thanks for sharing! Very good stuff.