
College Bound Students Make the Most of Your Journey with the Right Mindset
College bound students are busy checking things off the to-do list they started after high school graduation. They are packing, shopping, spending time with friends, reading the books suggested by their college for entering freshmen, and dealing with both excitement and anxiety of what is ahead of them. At the beginning of the summer it seemed so far away and now it’s actually a countdown to the day you walk through the door of a classroom as a real college student.
I have a bit of advice for those entering college. I was once a college student myself. I work with young college women through a non-profit charity I founded and other college students in my community. I see some people thrive in the new journey of their lives, I see others struggle to get their feet planted firmly, and others that melt under the pressure.
Here is a little bit of advice to help you get your mindset in the right place to boost the odds in your favor of having a successful first year in college.
All freshmen are entering together, but no one is on the same journey. Different environments develop whether you are living on campus, off campus, or at home and commuting. Roommates have an impact on you, and certainly so does your major and your course load. Even the professors teaching courses can make one student’s experience different from another in the very same class depending on their teaching process.
There are adjustments to be made, because this is going to be nothing like high school. No one is going to make sure you are in class, that’s up to you. No one is going to make sure you get enough sleep to perform your best, if you eat to do your best, or if you study as much as you should. You are on your own for real and your success will be determined by your choices, the actions you take, and where you put your focus.
So, here is my advice: Realize this is your journey and do your best to not let yourself be caught up in comparisons, in looking around to see how others are doing, if you have as many new friends, as many new social events to attend, the best grades in the courses you take, the most decked out dorm room, or the sharpest street style. Make this journey yours, and not one you hold up against a standard set by others, because no one is going through the same experiences. This will totally and uniquely be your college experience.
High school is a lot about fitting in, and that mindset can carry on into college. Yet, college is about discovering yourself, and finding if you have enough fortitude and grit to meet challenges head on and emerge victorious. The sooner you realize that no one has stepped upon this journey before you, because it is uniquely yours, then the sooner you realize it’s time to let the need to compete with others fall aside and step confidently into your future.
Don’t judge yourself against others. Maybe your roommate doesn’t need to study as much as you do. Maybe you need more sleep or less than others. Maybe you need to get up early and exercise more to counteract the stress of your course load, while others sleep in. Maybe your friend is having more sexual partners, more anything than you, and you feel like you are missing out because someone is doing something different than you. That’s their journey, not yours.
You have to decide what choices need to be made to set yourself up for success and make those choices, even if they are hard to make. In doing so you may have to say “No” to what you want now in order to say “Yes” to a successful future.
Enjoy the journey, immerse yourself into the experience, widen your circle of friends even if you have a lot of older ones attending school with you, for it is up to you to make the most of the moments. Yet, never forget this is your moment to dismiss the importance of the opportunity or make the most of it. This is where you make choice that your future self will thank you for, and that is where your mindset needs to be, centered on the future, because that is what you do in college. You create your future. Make it the one you want, make it happen.
Thank you for reading — it means a lot to me. I appreciate your sharing as well. Please follow me on Medium, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn — I’d love to connect and be a part of your network team. On social media I share my own articles, but also those that I find helpful and relevant to business, success, entrepreneurship, leadership, community enhancement, and personal development. You can find out more about me at SherryHBlue.com.
