How to have a successful school year

Whether you’re an incoming freshman or entering your last year of college, it’s never too late to start setting yourself up for success - in fact, now is the perfect time. 

We know exactly what it feels like to reach post-grad adulthood feeling frightened and lost. However, you’re not there yet, which means there’s still time to build that solid foundation you’ll want to be standing on when you graduate.

We’ve compiled our 5 key pieces of advice that future you will be so grateful for implementing:

1️⃣ Building relationships with professors 👩🏼‍🏫 can be highly beneficial for college students, especially in these 2 crucial ways:

Academic support and guidance: Establishing a connection with your professors can lead to more personalized assistance, a better understanding of the subject matter, and thus improved academic performance. They’re more likely to give you time and help you succeed if they know you want to succeed!

Networking and mentorship opportunities: Professors often have extensive networks within their fields. Building a relationship with them can open doors to potential internships and jobs, and can offer detailed advice on career paths. They can also provide recommendations and referrals that carry a ton of weight in professional settings. But remember, building relationships with professors is a two-way street, so show genuine interest in their subject matter and be respectful of their time.

2️⃣ Networking starts now & starts EVERYWHERE 👩🏼‍🤝‍👩🏻 even by making a new friend!

Whether reaching out to a professor, alumni or peer, college offers you an indispensable population of ready-to-reach connections that can open so many doors for you. Building a network of peers in college can help you tap into various opportunities such as information on internships and research projects. The friends you meet in college can also provide a trusted and already nurtured relationship for when you’ve graduated and need a connection!

3️⃣ Self-awareness is key 🔑 as you’re growing exponentially into adulthood

That 10-year-old dream job may still sound appealing, however, who you are and what you need now from a real job may be very different. Most people don’t know what kind of work suits them best in the long term and will try multiple jobs and industries before they find one that clicks. 

While you’re experiencing new internships, on a path of self-discovery and building what you want your life to look like, here are some questions to start asking yourself as you figure out what you do and don’t like in life:

• Do you thrive in structure or need more flexibility and the ability to work on your own time and place?

• What hobbies/industries give you surges of curiosity?

• Does any element in the classroom make you excited? Maybe it’s designing a PowerPoint, or developing a project plan?

• Do you like going home to work alone or do you need to be working in a study group and around friends?

4️⃣ Start building healthy habits NOW 💆🏻‍♀️ adulting starts today! (ew, gross)

If you’re living the college stereotype of eating Chick-Fil-A five times a week, sleeping an average of three hours a week, and rallying through every day, here’s your wake up call! 

That is not sustainable and probably not what you imagine how you want your adult life to look like. NOW is the time to start building lasting habits that will play a huge role in setting yourself up for future success.

Sounds impossible to implement? Don’t know where to start? Here are some extremely minor changes you can start implementing to make a major change in your health, productivity, and lifestyle!

• Get a HUGE water bottle and make it a goal to finish at least 1 full one a day. - we love the Stanley The Quencher 40oz or Hydro flask 32 oz Wide Mouth with Flex Straw Cap

• Instead of watching 5 extra minutes of TikTok before you sleep, set a timer to do a quick face mask and a deep breathing exercise to calm your nervous system before sleeping

• Set your Sunday afternoons aside to do a quick clean and some meal-prepping

• Keep a planner or calendar of sorts, start putting your schedule somewhere to better visualize and set reminders - our favorites are Google Calendar and Notion

Baby steps, you got this ❤️

5️⃣ Discover, discover, discover 🔍 you never know what you’ll find

Even if you have one semester left of college, or are just starting to choose what organizations and clubs to join, try anything and everything that interests you! Regardless if it’s outside of your major, or a new interest, everything is worth trying even for just ONE semester. What’s amazing about college clubs is that you can leave whenever you want. You can be as committed (or not committed) as you please, which allows you a lot of flexibility to try new things. You never know who you’ll meet or what you’ll discover about yourself!

Trying new things is also putting yourself out there professionally. One way you can start building your career is by joining leadership roles within organizations you love! Another is to start experimenting in industries and roles - no matter what year you are. While some internships and jobs require prior experience you may not have, you can always start at Home From College on any of our paid, flexible GIGs! Saying yes opens you up to endless and unknown opportunities. A no automatically shuts the door on what could’ve been. What do you have to lose?

👉🏼 The future doesn’t need to feel scary. There is a possibility to be more than prepared for what lies ahead of school schedules, integrated social lives, and built-in community resources. Students should not be expected to enter the real world and just know where, and how, they fit in and what they want. Learning where you want to fit in the world can start while you have an infinite amount of resources in college. And as a part of those infinite resources, we here at Home From College are here to support you in any way we can! 

For more advice, tips and tricks on career and college, check out our socials at @homefromcollege!