5 College Traps To Avoid

Most traditionally aged college students across the United States range from 18-24.  Being a young adult setting out on a new life at college can be a scary time. Especially scary if you just graduated from high school.  Everything is new and exciting, but also daunting.  College is an experience that everyone should enjoy, however you should make sure that you don’t fall into any of the well known college traps that I will mention below.  All too often I work with students that get off course.  And by off course, I mean veer off the direction that will lead to their degree or goals.  Below are very common mistakes students do, so my hope is that you read this before falling into any of these 5 traps.

Choosing The Right College For You

It is easy to be tempted to choose the wrong college for the wrong reasons. We are often worried about being lonely at college so we are tempted to just follow our friend’s choices. That way, if all else fails, you at least have people there that you know. The problem with this is that it is too much of a safety net and you will use this as an excuse not to meet new people. The whole idea of college is to get you used to new surroundings and experiences. This all comes with meeting new people and enjoying new hobbies. Always choose your college because it is the one you want to go to and not because your friends are.  Everyone should choose their college for the right reasons (i.e. a specific major, resources, job opportunities, athletic team, etc.).

Don’t Rush Your Decision

Depending on the type of college you have chosen, most four-year colleges have an average of 5 years for a students to complete their degree.  Since your will be there for a good few years take your time to look up majors, courses offered and what other resources the college has to offer. Investigate as much as you can about the college that you want to attend. Of course, we never really know what something is like until we try it but at least if you do your research you will have a better idea.

Stay Organized

OK, so you’re in the college of your choice.  How do you maintain success now that you are there?  There are so many new friends, organizations, opportunities and of course parties.  Well, college is a busy time and, especially when you first start, it can seem like there are simply not enough hours in the day. Where most people fall into a trap of not writing things down or getting a planner, make sure you stay as organized as possible. Separate your time evenly between tasks and don’t be tempted to leave assignments until the last minute.  The best piece of advice I can give in this area is to get a calendar or planner (even in your phone) and write everything that is due for your classes the first day you get your syllabus.

Don’t Enjoy It Too Much!

Part of being at college is the social aspect of your new life. While this is something that you should take the time to enjoy you should make sure that your college work does not suffer because of it. After all you simply won’t be able to concentrate in class if you have been up until 4am partying with your friends. Simply take a common sense approach and enjoy the social life as well as working hard.

Don’t Get Too Confident

One of the most common things students do their first semester is put too much on their plate.  They try and take 18 units while working a part time job and having a relationship.  While some people can handle that workload after a while, most can’t!  I encourage all my students to balance their schedule and start slow.  Start off with a full time load (12 units) and see how you do after your first semester.  If you do well and can handle more, by all means, I encourage you to try another class the following semester.  I’ll go into balancing school work in another post.

As long as you follow these 5 easy steps you should be off to a good start in college.  At the end of your college career you will come away with decent grades that will set you up well for getting a great job in your chosen career.

College Help: “Do your research and choose the college that is best for you, not your friends!”

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Tags: college help, college search, College Tips

One Response to “5 College Traps To Avoid”

1. Advancement Strategies for Undergraduate Students » Blog Archive » Private School Education says:

   April 5, 2010 at 5:11 pm

   [...] Choosing a college is always nerve racking because it’s such a big decision to make.  Especially in these economic times, choosing the right college to attend couldn’t be more important.  The wrong decision can cost you tens of thousands of dollars and little transferable credit to show for it. [...]