7 Habits You Should Learn In College

College is an important time to grow as an individual and learn how to navigate through some tough times. Here are 7 habits you definitely should pick up on for college survival!

1. Invest In A Planner

If you have a hard time remembering what assignments are due when, because it does happen and is completely normal, you should consider investing in a planner. Plus, you can accomplish all your aesthetic goals by making it look as pretty as you want.

This is one of the many great habits you should learn in college because it will have you on top of everything and polish your organizational skills. Stylish and successful looks good on you! Writing out what you have to do has shown to be beneficial and motivating for you to complete your work so try to avoid using your phone!

If you don’t want to spend money on a planner, I would suggest having some kind of system where you gather your to-do list. A whiteboard that you can hang, or a notebook to constantly be able to refer to can help. There are printable planners that you can get off of Pinterest that are cute and can be tossed for a new one once completed.

2. Establishing A Good Relationship With Your Professor

I would probably put this at the top of your priorities in college. Professors are there to help you so attend office hours as much as you can. Office hours are the key place where you will be able to establish a good relationship with your professor and ask any question you have.

This is one of the most crucial habits you should learn and try to become more open. Learning to ask about any concept, homework, exam, etc. you are stuck on will only benefit you! So take advantage of your resources and become close with your professor. (Plus, it comes in handy for recommendation letter times!)

3. Using Pomodoro Or Any Other Time Managing App

Pomodoro is a system that I found through TikTok. It is perfect for time management and will help you get into a good habit of balancing work and leisure time. This system uses a timer to divide work into cycles, usually 25 minutes long, split by regular breaks.

I have realized that this system is amazing for college survival. There are additionally many other apps on the App Store that you can select from if this does not work for you. Whatever you choose, its purpose has shown highly beneficial results. It has gotten me to be more productive and forget about checking social media because you really get into this zone of work!

4. SLEEP!

This habit super important! I know that it is really common for students (like me) to pull all-nighters to cram information in right before a test. However, it is not as effective and can disrupt your cognitive thinking when you lack a lot of sleep.

Dosing up on caffeine during those late night hours can actually do more harm than good. You are fighting your body’s ability to want to sleep and obviously that is not very good.

So aim to get at least 7-8 hours a night in order to be energized and more productive the next day! It will produce a fresh mind so you can approach an exam, essay or any task with confidence and ease.

5. The 20-20-20 Rule

This habit is super important to protect your eyes! If you spend a lot of time looking at a monitor, especially with online classes, try this technique out. Basically every 20 minutes that you are looking at a screen, look away at something that is 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

This will get you in the habit of unfocusing from a bright computer screen and give you a rest on the eyes. You do not want to ruin that eyesight! I would also recommend purchasing blue light glasses if you are constantly using your computer for any work. These glasses will protect you from the harmful light that our monitors can give us if looked at excessively. Plus, they are super cute and come in all sorts of colors/shapes!

The Pomodoro technique matches up with the 20-20-20 rule because you’re constantly taking breaks in between work and avoiding that strain which is amazing for college survival!

10 Useful Tips To Overcome Social Anxiety In College

6. Networking!

College is one of the most important parts of your life where you will meet hundreds of people. It is so beneficial to start talking around and making connections with your peers. You would be surprised by how many people have gotten jobs, internships and other amazing opportunities just by networking and branching out to others.

One useful tip would be to create a LinkedIn account. Get in the habit of updating your resume, cold-call messaging other companies/people and putting yourself out there! Linkedin is your one stop shop to gaining insights with a range of companies whether they are start-ups or empires. Networking is key for college survival!

7. Don’t Wait Until The Last Minute For Anything

I know what you may be thinking- this tip is a cliché phrase you hear all the time. You might even stick to the rule throughout syllabus week and then go back to waiting until the due date for it to be the DO date.

In college, that is a little hard to get pass by. Usually it is a lot of work and you are better off planning your assignments out so you don’t get burnout on the due date. Get in the habit of spreading your work and completing a few things each day so they don’t pile up! (Refer back to habit #1 about purchasing a planner!)

This is a great tip for college survival. I managed to avoid a whole lot of mental breakdowns by having my work planned out and accomplishing different assignments each day! It is much easier to achieve your goals this way and you have a clearer mindset.