1. Arrange Regular Meetings with Your Advisor 

There is a reason why academic advisors are a mainstay in colleges across the country, and taking advantage of their wealth of experience as a new student and, indeed, regularly throughout your college journey will be of enormous help. 

Dedicated academic advisors will:

• Offer guidance and provide resources to help you succeed
• Help you to fulfill your academic goals and stay on top of your timetable
• Highlight exciting opportunities you may not have known about otherwise
• Provide a confidential and experienced ear 

2. Develop a Customised Semester Plan 

The end goal of your studies is, of course, graduation, and as such, even though there will be many times when such a goal seems so far in the future that it is not yet important, creating a term-by-term plan is an essential component of your college journey.

Not only should you be looking to balance your workload with the modules and specific topics of study you choose to include in your program, but regularly checking in with your progress by identifying both your strengths and necessary areas of growth is also vital. 

Working and improving on your skills in time management and organisation should also help you to stay on track. 

3. Choose Your College Carefully 

Before you can begin to map out your college experience, to provide yourself with the highest possible chances of success, you need to spend time and conduct research to ensure the college you apply to is the right one for you. 

Utilise the accurate and informative college acceptance calculator at Campusreel to whittle down your long list of potential colleges to apply for to a shortlist, before considering the range of extracurricular activities on offer, the reputation of the social life, and the college as a whole. 

4. Regularly Practise Self-Care 

Even for the most mentally strong and stable students, the contrast between living at home with parents and becoming responsible for themselves for the first time can often be a shock to the system.

As a result, prioritising your own self-care, be that in the form of taking a day out of the month to neither study nor party and instead go for a walk in nature, or else booking regular appointments with your academic advisor, becomes paramount. 

5. Surround Yourself with Positivity  

It can be understandably easy to fall into bad habits as a student, both in the context of your academic studies and in relation to the people you choose to spend your downtime with.

However, to ensure your journey through college, especially as these are your formative years of adulthood, be careful who you choose to let into your inner circle.

Surround yourself with positive people and new friends who share your zest for life and are just as focused on success and happiness as you are.