BY HALLEIGH MILLESON

Around four years ago, I felt overwhelmed, stressed and scared about the unknown. It was my first day of college. I felt like a small fish in an extremely large pond as a freshman. During my time in college, I have learned many helpful tips on how to manage time, study effectively, manage stress and communicate well. Now, as a senior at High Point University, I can confidently say that these four tips are crucial to having academic success in college. Being able to learn and understand these helpful tips early on in college will only benefit you and help you succeed as an upperclassman who is taking higher level classes. 

Time Management:

Knowing how to properly manage your time in college can be challenging. I would suggest using a daily planner only for your non-academic activities. By non-academic activities, I mean things like spending time with friends, running errands, working out and attending school events. By only having these activities in your daily planner, you will feel less overwhelmed versus having your school assignments in this planner as well. I would suggest waking up each day and writing in your planner what activities you have planned for that day. Then, you can easily identify times that you do not have anything planned to utilize for schoolwork time. 

Furthermore, I suggest using a Google Doc to list out all of your schoolwork or assignments left to do. Typically, I will write out my classes on a Google Doc and then list all of my upcoming assignments for that class with the due dates. Once I have finished the assignment, I delete it from my list. This way, I only have one place where I keep all of my schoolwork assignments listed. If you are ever unsure about a due date or assignment, then I would highly suggest reading the syllabus for your class. 

Study Skills:

You may have heard this before, but I do not recommend waiting until the night before a test to study or to complete a major assignment. If you have an upcoming test, start studying a little bit each day for a few days before the test. You are much more likely to remember the information if you start studying multiple days before the test versus studying the night before. Also, I suggest going to the library on campus to study or complete assignments. Most college campus libraries are large, comfortable and quiet. Libraries are a wonderful, quiet place to concentrate and get schoolwork done. 

Managing Stress:

While academics are important, it is also important to take care of yourself! This means going to bed at a reasonable hour, eating healthy, exercising, drinking plenty of water and having a healthy social life. If you do not take care of yourself, then succeeding in school will become more difficult. Go to bed early the night before a test. Go out to eat with your friends for dinner one night after a long day of classes. Go for a walk or run around campus during the day. Go to the cafeteria and choose healthy foods to eat, but do not forget to grab a cookie to enjoy! 

Learning to Communicate: 

Being able to speak up in class and talk to your professor is crucial to success in college. Many professors want you to participate in class discussions and will even have a participation grade for you. In your syllabus, professors will list their office hours. Office hours are when you can go visit your professor to ask him or her questions about the class, an assignment, your grade, etc. If you go to office hours, then you may receive helpful information that you would have never received otherwise. Also, do not be afraid to ask your professors questions after class. Being able to speak up and be confident within your classes will help you be a successful student. 

If you are a college student, I hope that you find these tips helpful and supportive. Some days will be great and some days will be challenging. Keep going and know that I am here to encourage you as you embark on this amazing journey!