Michael Sarver
As a college freshman, it’s probably the first time you’ll be living away from home. It’s the first time you’ll be responsible for your own curfew, doing your own laundry and preparing your own meals. It’s a very exciting time for most, but college life can be a scary one at the same time. Finding ways to deal with the change in your environment can make the difference from a successful college transition and a bombed attempt.
5 Ways to Deal with Campus Living
Be open with your roomie. Your college roommate may be the complete opposite of you, but this doesn’t mean you can’t live together in harmony. Be sure to always talk openly with your roommate, setting ground rules and expectations with each other from day one.
Be open-minded. College is about meeting new people and experiencing new things. Be open-minded so that you’ll have a chance to mix and mingle with people that may have different backgrounds from you. Join new groups on campus and participate in activities that allow you to expand your horizons.
Don’t forget to study. The primary reason you’re at college is to learn, so it is important to schedule time to study and do your homework. Dorm living may not present the ideal environment for hunkering down for quiet time, so find a spot on or off campus that allows you to put in quality homework and study time.
Learn from your mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes and college freshmen are definitely not exceptions to this rule. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes and move on from it. If you don’t score as high on a test or paper as you expected because you went to a party instead, you know you need to skip the social activities and put more time into your school work. If you accidentally mix a red sock in with your white clothes and now everything is pink, you know to better sort your laundry next time.
Eat, Sleep and Decrease Stress. There are a lot of stress factors that come with being away at college. The important thing is to try to eat and sleep as properly as you can. These two factors can help you to deal with the stress of it all a lot more effectively than if you’re tackling stress without proper nutrition and enough sleep.
Heading off to college is fun and exciting but it has some trials and tribulations that come along with it. Finding ways to effectively manage and deal with the transition of living away from home for the first time is the key to a smooth transition.
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- Dorm Living versus Apartment Living
- What to Take to College or How to Make Your Dorm Room Feel Like Home
- Creating Community: Living and Learning at the University of Texas Dallas
- Clemson University Living and Learning Community Video
- Beyond the Campus Tour: 7 Signs to Look for When You Visit a College
Tags: college dorm room, college dorms, college roommate, dormitory, going away to college, on campus, tips to handle your college roommate, transitioning as a college freshmen, transitioning to college
