|
Living on campus comes with a potential set of problems. The following tips take you month by month through your year of living on campus.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER: What have I gotten myself into?
- Find a group of friends that you can really trust. Develop a relationship with someone that cares about your success as a first-year student.
- Design yourself a schedule right from the start and stick to it.
- When you have questions, ask someone -- anyone.
- Communicate with your roommate right from the start. Speak up when you don't agree with something that they say or do.
OCTOBER: How can I study around here?
- Develop and improve your study habits.
- You are starting to feel like you need a break. If you need one, take one. Take a long weekend and visit your friends or family.
- Keep an eye on your finances. You are starting to see how quickly you can go through money.
NOVEMBER: Am I feeling stressed or am I feeling stressed?
- Work through the roommate problems that arise during the tense week of mid-term exams.
- Relationships with the significant other are starting to fall apart.
- Registering for next semester's classes means more decisions that have to be made.
- Thanksgiving break will be much needed, but it will seem too short. Don't spend the whole break worrying about due dates for projects or upcoming exams.
DECEMBER: Will I make it back next semester?
- Final exams bring panic and anxiety. Study and prepare for each exam.
- Take time for a stress break. If your campus sponsors any kind of study station or stress reliever, GO! If they don't, create your own.
- Don't feel like a stranger when you go home. Take time to readjust with your friends and family.
- Don't shoot your roommate. They are feeling as tense as you are. You have worked through some real tough issues this semester -- keep up the good work.
JANUARY: Am I really happy to be back at school?
- Campus is really starting to feel like home.
- If fall semester's grades were lower than you expected, get a jump start on the spring semester.
- Spring semester will start faster with more academic work right from the beginning. Keep up!
- If you see new faces around the hall, lend a helping hand. Remember all of those questions you had four months ago?
FEBRUARY: Do I have cabin fever or what?
- The winter weather brings the cold and flu season with it. Take care of your health.
- Your roommate is just as tired of looking at you as you are of looking at them. Since you might not be able to get outdoors, find a get-away spot some where on campus.
- Start thinking about spring break. Will you be beach bound? mountain bound? home bound?
MARCH: Is spring break ever going to get here?
- If you don't want to study, too bad! Work through the mid-semester blues.
- Take your irritability medicine. Don't let every little thing tick you off. Don't throw in the towel now; the semester will be over before you know it.
- Deal with conflict. Don't ignore it; it won't go away on its own.
- Whatever you do for your spring break, have a safe and memorable one.
APRIL: Why am I getting into so much trouble?
- Take care of the spring fever. All of the tests and papers will be over really soon.
- If you have extra time on your hands, find something to do. Don't just sit around thinking of rules to break.
- If you are becoming less and less interested in your school work, find new places to study or new study groups.
MAY: What am I going to do all summer?
- It is the end of the year. Final exams are just as tough as before.
- Everyone seems to be falling in and out of love rather quickly. Focus on the exams.
- Get yourself a summer job so you can start saving some money for next year.
- As you head out for the summer, say good-bye to everyone that you have developed a bond with this past year. Don't forget to thank all of those folks who helped make the year an enjoyable one.
|
|
|
|
|
