You’re starting college soon. How can you make the most of your time there?

First of all, congratulations! Your experience will be directly related to how open-minded you are. Be sure to take courses outside your major, or outside the focus that you think you have now, because it may well change.

This applies to international students: While you are likely to first stick to the group of other international students from your country, stay open to other connections and opportunities! Have a roommate from a different country, eat lunch with different groups every day, and join events. This is likely the first time in your life that you are exposed to so many diverse students, so make the most of it! And don't feel shy because of your English skills, or an accent!

My suggestion would be to investigate how your chosen degree can lead to career opportunities. Take advantage of career services and figure out the steps needed to get that entry level job once you have graduated.

Having a plan is important especially when you are starting out college. However, be mindful that a plan after all is a plan and life can change along the way. Don’t be too hard on yourself if your plan didn’t pan out, use it more as a mental exercise to be able to intentionally design your college life.

To make the most of college, prioritize time management, engage in diverse activities, build a strong network, and embrace new challenges. Attend classes regularly, join clubs, and explore your interests. Foster meaningful connections with peers and professors, as these relationships can lead to valuable opportunities. Embrace a growth mindset, be open to learning, and balance academic pursuits with personal development. Remember, college is not just about academics; it's a transformative experience that extends beyond the classroom.

College is a time to evolve into an adult. And one of the greatest lessons you will learn is managing the "work-life balance." If you focus too heavily on your academics, you will miss the rich experiences of life beyond the books. And if you focus too much on fun, you may not succeed. Work-life balance is something you will wrestle with until the day you retire, long after all your classroom learning is obsolete. So plan ahead, crunch when you need to and have fun when you want to. Find the right balance and you will learn a life-long skill.

I've taught and tutored many h.s. and college students--and the one thing they *most* rsist doing that they *most* appreciate forcing themselves to do later is to make full use of a calendar. It can be digital or paper, but make sure you use it to plan outnot just when you'll study/do homework, but when you'll take breaks to care for your body and mind with sleep, movement, nd socializing. You can change your calendar once you plan it--but planning it out will save you so much time wondering what else you have to do, and so much wasted mental energy wondering if you can "afford" to be exercising, sleeping, or hanging out with friends. A well-planned, adjusted-when-needed, calendar will give you so much more time back than a long to do list

As an organizational skills professor who works in a BIS model, I think that teaching time management tools like Gantt's Diagram, WBS, and Google Calendar, is helpful. When I ask for complex assignments like the sustainability project, the first thing I ask as evidence is a WBS and Gantt diagram with specific dates and the people responsible for each task. This can help them with planning and delegation skills.

Besides this, it’s always good to also set aside time weekly to do a reflection of the week and decide how are you going to maximise the week to hit other priorities instead of just going through the motion of completing school.

Managing your time wisely is one of the most underrated, but crucial trait when it comes to making the most out of your college. Each us of one wants that experience to be more than just academics, including joining our passion clubs, playing any sport, or just build networks. Given the limited time, you should identify all your interests and then allocate time to each one of them to wisely to make the most out of available resources.

"Seniors" play a crucial role in a college student's life. Despite everything you might know beforehand, there still will be some things which distinguish that only seniors in your college know, that will help you to become successful. Asking for help and advice is not a bad thing to do. Approach people with more experience, they could be your seniors, faculty or maybe counselors. Ask for their guidance and accordingly take the steps forward. Get the best of what you can from your college.

Many colleges have free tutoring centers available to support students, but often students think those centers come with a stigma. As a former writing center director, I can assure you that many of the students who came for support with their writing were top performers--and they knew that part of being successful, especially in writing, meant getting another pair of eyes on their work. They also leveraged scheduling appintments at the writing center as a way of making the most of any tendencies to not get something done until the last minute--they could push that "last minute" forward by days or weeks from when a final paper was due to their professor by treating their scheduled writing center session as a deadline.

There are so many resources available on campus; please use them! The majority of professors, advisors, counselors, etc will be happy to answer questions, discuss your goals, and connect you with others who can help you succeed. Participating in events, clubs, and study groups will expand your opportunities in and outside of college, and it'll make it more enjoyable to be there. You just need to reach out!

I've received invaluable advice from my seniors: never hesitate to ask questions, as no question is ever considered dumb. Cultivate an insatiable curiosity, be unafraid to voice your thoughts, and remain receptive to learning from individuals of all walks of life. You'll be amazed by the treasures this world has to offer when you approach it with an open mind. Remember, believing in yourself is the cornerstone of success. So, embrace your uniqueness and journey confidently towards your goals.

Yes! As a student, many people are willing to mentor you. All you need to do is ask. Don’t be afraid that you have nothing to offer in return. For many mentors, they see this as a way to give back to the younger generation for the mentorship they received when they were younger. So hop on LinkedIn or any platforms and be intentional to reach out to people who you want to learn from and ask them out for coffee! :) This is how you can accelerate your growth outside of the curriculum.

Intentionally seek out people to connect with who you know will be able to help you reach your goals in a particular area. Also be open to serendipitous connections that you could not have imagined, they can help guide and shape your personal and professional growth. The more relationships you build, the more doors will open for you.

Connect with the faculty and staff! They have so many resources to help navigate college and life after college. Make their network your network.

Don't be afraid to fail or try something new! The class you may be taking to fulfill a general education requirement could end up being the class that propels you to a career.

Be proactive when choosing courses. Read and become familiar with the course catalog descriptions. Understand the general and departmental requirements of your degree program. These actions will highlight where you have room to customize your plan and explore courses that interest you. Talk to those instructors and students who have taken the courses. Be alert to prerequisites and the possibility of overlapping schedules. Draft a customized degree plan and have an academic advisor check it for errors before every semester registration. You know your interests and goals more than anyone else does. Don't sit back and let someone else choose everything for you. As you progress in your studies, your vision for yourself will become clearer.

In addition to everything mentioned, I would add that being proactive is key. Most universities have very good resources (both academic and non academic), but expect you to seek them out. The bottom line is that having the best college experience is all about your ability to find balance - between being goal oriented yet flexible to change those goals based on new knowledge; between socialising yet taking enough time to discover yourself; between having fun and being responsible.

Learning about basic personal finance will go a long way. Budgeting, saving and investing as well as key taxation laws and considerations are important aspects of every adult's life. I recently explored a myriad of Reddit posts about skills students entering college must learn. Personal finance and money management was perhaps one of the most repeated answers. The good news is that there are a ton of resources online, and it's really easy. Just needs some mindfulness and discipline!