Basic College Living 101
The first week of college can be fundamental in setting a good routine for the rest of the year. Start by setting good habits early and have the most fun you can! Our friend Bert will show us what happens when we don’t establish good habits early on.
This is Bert!
Bert just moved into college and he’s about to make some *questionable* decisions.
Let’s learn from his mistakes.
Bert doesn’t know where the store is. He thinks it’s too far. Bert didn’t buy any cleaning supplies.
(the store is literally a 10 minute walk away)
Bert does not use a calendar. He “doesn’t believe in them.”
Bert is taking 19 units of classes, has 3 different office hour times, 5 midterms and 3 finals. Bert is also thinking about joining clubs.
Bert also doesn’t believe in having a sleep schedule. Bert thinks energy drinks give him superpowers and that he no longer needs sleep.
Bert only *actually* sleeps 3-4 hours a night.
This is Bert now.
Bert lives in filth, has a crippling caffeine addiction, is about to drop a class (he missed the midterm and is now failing), missed the club registration date, is exhausted, and is straight up NOT having a good time.
No one wants to be like Bert, so let’s go over some college tips to make sure we don’t fall into the same traps.
Before college starts, sit down with Google Maps and locate all the convenience stores, grocery stores, and pharmacies near you. This will help you save time once you get to college because you will already know how close resources are! Once you get to college, buy cleaning supplies. Even if your college has a dorm cleaning service, they likely come once weekly or bi-weekly. That is not often enough of a cleaning schedule. You gotta put on your big kid pants and keep your room clean now, just like your mom always told you to. If you don’t, you’ll start living in a pigsty, and bugs (and/or rats, depending on your school) will likely infest your room. Stay clean. Avoid bugs.
Learn to use schedules, either digital or physical. College has many moving parts and important deadlines; there is no room to be sloppy. I put hard deadlines into my calendar, but I also plan out how I will work on each of my assignments day by day. This way, I never have to cram an assignment at the last minute and always stay ahead of schedule. (This comes from an ex-anticalander-er, so trust me when I say conversion is worth your while.)
Sleep is so important. Many people pass off sleep as a side thought and would rather stay up late and drink caffeine to keep them going. Not only is a caffeine addiction terrible for your body, but it doesn't actually replace the sleep you need. Sleep deprivation can lead to several health issues, but it also makes you depressed and inhibits your cognitive ability. You definitely won't be enjoying college if you are depressed and falling behind academically, so make sure to get enough sleep. As horrible as it may sound to some, I always try to go to bed early and wake up at a (decently) early hour. While it wasn't pleasant initially, once I got used to it, I became way more productive, got all my work done earlier in the day so that I had the afternoons and evenings to relax, and felt better rested and happier overall. Decide an hour at which you will get in bed each night and a second time when all devices turn off. Sure, this may seem like a middle schooler's practice. Still, it will ensure you actually go to sleep at a certain time instead of scrolling endlessly on TikTok for hours on end. While a coffee here and there won't hurt anybody and everyone in college will have a few late nights, make sure not to make a habit of missing sleep.
College only gets more and more hectic as time goes on. If you don't establish some good foundational habits early on, you won't be able to juggle academic success, wellness, and social life when things become busier.
