It's almost here the start of a new school year! As my son goes off for his first day of kindergarten I have a cousin who is trying to navigate her way into college....3 weeks before school starts! She's stressed to the max and I asked her why she hadn't started this process sooner! She thought she had! This got me to thinking of all of the mistakes I made in college and what ultimately led me to not completing my degree.
Planning for college starts your freshman year of high school! Oh the sins of my freshman year haunted me during college application time. However, I persevered and made it to college only to not have planned wisely and thus I wasted a large portion of my life and money on college.
Don't let this happen to you! Here are 15 tips on how to not waste time or money on college!
- Make sure you’re serious before you apply
Don’t go to college for all the wrong reasons, you simply want to get out of your parents house to party, drink, do drugs, hang out late, only so you can pledge, or any of those reasons. You should want to go to college to better yourself and to actually learn marketable skills.
- Have a plan
So you want to go to school for drama/art history/business/earth science. Okay what are you going to do with that degree? Have a plan; talk with someone in that field. Speak with someone in that college to get a better idea of your career path. Speak with the on campus career center they should be able to lead you in the right direction. If you don’t have any clue what you want to go to school for then don’t declare a major or take courses in a major. This is a very costly mistake. Just stick to your basics until you figure out what you want to major in.
- Do your best on entrance exams
Don’t take for granted that ‘no one’ does well on entrance exams. You can study and prepare for entrance exams. There are also college exam prep classes and they are very helpful! The higher your score on these exams the better you will look to college recruiters and this may even lead to you getting a scholarship.
- Research which type of college is best for you
Not everyone can go to a 4-year university. This does not make you a failure in life. Sometimes going to community college for a year or two until you have figured out your major is the best way to avoid costly mistakes.
- Meet your deadlines
Financial aid deadlines are very important. The early bird gets the worm. If the financial aid deadline for fall is May 1st then your financial aid file should be completed by February. Completing your packet early is the best way to be competitive with grant money. Don’t wait until the last minute this could delay your financial aid payout. Even if you are going to a community college where you can apply the week of classes don’t put that extra stress on yourself! Apply early and get it out of the way! Colleges are notorious for losing paperwork!
- Follow up Follow up Follow up!
Don’t wait for them to call you when you submit paperwork. Give them 2 weeks and call them to make sure they have received it and it’s in the computer. Most colleges now have an automated system where you can log in and see the progress of your paperwork and what forms are missing.
- Buy used textbooks when possible
If you do your financial aid early you will receive your payout early and you can shop around for the best price on books. You don’t have to buy books from the bookstore! Feel free to go online and price match!
- Plan to study
If you are going to have to work while in school remember that you have to factor in study time! This isn’t high school and there is a lot of reading in freshman classes! So factor in 1 hour outside of class for every hour you spend in class. You’ll see a major difference.
- Stop changing your major
There is nothing more wasteful in time and money than changing your major. (I know I’ve had 4!) It’s the equivalent to being stuck in a mud puddle and punching the gas over and over. Not only are you not going anywhere, but you’re also wasting your gas and energy!
- Don’t drop courses
Don’t drop courses just because you’re not doing well. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! Don’t wait until the last minute to try to “fix” your grades. Turn in all assignments and work your hardest. Many colleges now have a limit on how many classes you can drop so save those precious drops for super desperate situations not just your random laziness.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help
Every university has a tutorial center where you can ask for assistance. Most professors also have teacher’s assistants and they will often arrange study groups. Utilize the resources that are available to you! It’s never too early to ask for help. If you don’t understand something make an appointment to see your professor. Their office hours are posted on the syllabus.
- Get some sleep
I know everyone wants to party but you have to get sleep! If you haven’t slept then you can’t concentrate in class and you won’t be able to absorb the information. Cramming all night was a weekly ritual for me but I never fully learned the material so it only made it harder for me during finals!
- Watch the crowd you associate with
It’s really easy to get into trouble on a college campus! If you are not old enough to drink then don’t go to a party and get sloppy drunk and then wake up the next morning not knowing what you did or where you did it! There is also the risk of the date rape drug being slipped into your drink. Find something more productive to do. Join on campus organizations, or student council. Associate yourself with people that actually care about their education and still know how to have fun without getting out of hand.
- Visit your family and friends
This is especially important if you go away for school and leave a bf/gf behind. It’s really easy to get home sick and that can lead to depression and just feeling lonely. So visit your family, call your parents more than when you just want money. The people you left at home are your support system lean on them.
- Have fun but don’t lose focus
It’s okay to have fun but don’t lose focus on why you are in college! Don't get into any serious relationships that will place unneeded demands on your energy or time. Don’t goof off and stay in college longer than necessary. Try to get in and get out! We all know that career student that took 7 years to get a Bachelor’s degree. And 170K later he finally got that degree in Kinesology by way of Theater Arts by way of Economics by way of Marketing by way of….
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