The Campus Life: 10 Things Every College Student Needs to Know

You’ve no doubt all seen it: pictures flooding your social media of the new college students moving into their dorms for the first time. Judging by the perfectly-coordinated pillows, carefully-selected wall decor, and neatly-arranged accessories, countless hours went into the planning and shopping to design your tiny space. By no means am I minimizing any of that. Big decisions were made. I get it.

What colors are in—while also being unique—and set the right mood? Which things from my childhood room reflect COLLEGE ME, and which should I leave behind? What will all my choices say to everyone else around me about who I am and whether they want to hang out with me? Who am I…deep down? Who do I want to be?

Now that you’ve gotten everything just how you like it, let’s talk about all those things you may not have thought about.

I speak to you, not as someone older and (presumably) wiser. None of this is meant to be condescending or nagging. I come to you as someone who did it ALL WRONG. So much so that I only lasted one year before moving back home, even though it meant losing friends and making a long commute.

HERE ARE MY 10 TIPS FOR SURVIVING THE CAMPUS LIFE

1. Don’t get sick. One nasty cold can derail your whole semester.

Everyone gets sick sooner or later, but if you take care of yourself, it won’t turn into pneumonia, which is what happened to me freshman year. Not only did I miss a concert I’d been looking forward to, but I also missed 2 weeks of classes. You’re less likely to get sick if you practice healthy habits. Stay hydrated. Eat your fruits and veggies. Stay active. Get some fresh air. Take your vitamins. Get a full night of sleep. Wash your hands (a lot). This all sounds basic, I know. But it’s easy to forget when you’re away from home and see your dorm cafeteria for the first time, filled with all sorts of things you weren’t allowed when you lived at home (or at least, never ate in massive quantities).

2. You don’t have to be at every party. Know when to socialize and when to say no.

Of course, you should have fun and make friends. That’s the best part of campus life. But maintain a balance between social time and study time. My biggest problem when I lived in the dorms was that I had a huge case of FOMO. If I knew people were gathering in someone’s room, I had to be there. This doesn’t sound like a bad thing, except there was a gathering of sorts somewhere on my floor every night, and I could not keep my mind on schoolwork if I heard people down the hall having fun without me. Eventually, I figured out I needed a new study spot. I loved sitting on the grass under a tree, or in a comfy corner at the coffee shop. Find your favorite study spots.

3.  Don’t date anyone who lives on your floor – or better yet, avoid the whole building.

I broke this rule in the first week or two, and I soon regretted it. Most college relationships last a few weeks or maybe a couple months. You do not want to be awkwardly walking past that person all the time because the men’s bathroom is across from your room, or the elevator is across from his. It’s not good for either of you to know when the other person is “home,” whether you’re the one waiting for them to text you back, or the one who has to sneak in stealthily to avoid having to hang out when you don’t want to. And it’s really not going to be fun when they start dating other people.

4. Establish your routine. It’s not boring – it’s comforting.

Chances are, you’re going to have days when you don’t need to be at class until late morning. Maybe there’s a day or two when you don’t have class at all. That doesn’t mean you should sleep in until noon or stuff your face all day.  Plan out those days like you do all the others. Wake up and go to sleep at around the same time. Eat regular meals. Take walks. Set appointments for study time and do not deviate from those. Make plans to socialize. Block off quiet or alone time for relaxing. You don’t need to be rigid about it. But you might find it comforting to have some structure in your life.

5. Go to class. Yeah, I know no one takes attendance. Go anyway.

For me, those 8AM classes were really hard to get to. I usually went but was often ridiculously late. Eighteen-year-old me wasn’t concerned. I paid for the lecture notes., but t’s not the same as being there. Consider this – many of your professors are doing current research on the topics they are lecturing about, some are among the most esteemed and world-renowned experts in your field, and all are smarter than you. These people charge hundreds to speak at professional conferences, and you get full access to them for free (well, not free, but included in your tuition). And if that doesn’t move you, consider this. If you are planning to go to graduate school or work in their fields, a personal recommendation will be integral to your admission or employment.  

6. Keep up with the readings and assignments. Trust me when I say you will not catch up.

But I went to class—doesn’t that count? Sadly, no. See, those professors I just talked about above assume you are reading the books they assigned. They are not going to spend their precious time—or yours—regurgitating what was in the texts. They will test you on it, however.

Also, I quickly learned that these readings weren’t something I could finish the week before midterms, and assignments weren’t something I could finish in an all-nighter before they’re due (at least, not very well). If you are a full-time student, the school expects you to treat it like your full-time job. That means, that even though your class may only be 3-4 hours a week, they assume you are working on it at home for another 5-10 hours.

7. Cleanliness is important. Your roommates don’t love you like your mama does.

Full confession: I was the messy roommate. Looking back, that was incredibly disrespectful and unfair to my roommate, who had to stare at my mess, day in and day out. If I’m being really honest, I may have been a little extra messy because I was passive-aggressive and knew it bothered her, which is the adolescent version of a toddler’s tantrum. If I had been more mature, I would have realized that we were sharing a very tiny space, and it wasn’t all mine. It was unfair and childish not to maintain a comfortable environment for the both of us. On that same note, practice good hygiene. Shower even when you have nowhere to go. Wash your dirty laundry. It’s a tiny space, likely without good air flow. Be considerate.

8. Ignore the table passing out the too-good-to-be-true credit card offers.

I got my first credit card on campus. Did I have a job? No. Did I have any way of paying for it? Not really. Yet I trusted that these adults offering me free money knew better. Well, they do, but not in a way that benefits you. I mean, I did get some cool swag, but I paid big for it in the long run. Here’s the thing. Your credit score impacts everything, from how much they’ll charge you to finance your car, to whether they’ll trust you to lease your apartment. I’ve even heard of prospective employers pulling your credit to see if you’re responsible enough to work for them. If you really need a credit card, talk to your parents first. They may help you get a card or walk you through how much credit limit you can handle.

9. Take risks. Find your people – the ones who like you for you.

I was not popular in high school. I saw college as a chance to reinvent myself. No one knew me here, so I could be anyone I wanted to be. To that end, I stalked the cool kids, tagged along to the frat parties, and drank or smoked whatever they did. Even though I behaved as they did so they would like me, I was incredibly uncomfortable doing so. I was miserable doing it, and I became quieter and more invisible hanging around them, until they began leaving me out. I wish I would have had the confidence to be myself, recognizing that I would’ve been happier going to theater performances, poetry readings, and art museums. I would’ve likely found my people there. Not the cool kids, but they would’ve appreciated my weirdness.

10. Give yourself (and others) some grace. You’re doing your best. They probably are, too.

Living away from home for the first time is incredibly stressful. You were ripped away, not just from family, but also good friends who you spent years cultivating trusting and loving friendships with. You’re learning where everything is, and what “the rules” are. It’s hard to juggle making new connections, while being a full-time student (possibly with a job), all while maintaining your emotions. You may snap at times, and your roommate will suffer the brunt end of that. There will be times when you’re the mean girl, and other times when they bully you. Be the one who says you’re sorry. Be the one who forgives. Practice talking about where it went wrong. Chances are, they’ll be grateful for the chance to smooth things over. Mine was.

I hope some of the tips above resonate with you. I hope I didn’t scare anyone. It really was a great time for me. I just want it to be even better for you. I know this was a lot, and if you read this far, I’m happy to gift you one FREE introductory coaching session. Just mention this article to redeem. We can go over any questions you have about anything you read, or anything I left unanswered. Most of all, I want to hear how campus life is going for you!