10 Habits Of Successful College Students 2020
“I thought I had failed but in fact, I had just not succeeded yet”
Finding the right balance in college can be even harder than it was in high school. Not only are you faced with the daunting task of adulting, but you're also working towards a career post-graduation.
Being successful in college can mean different things to different people and it's hard to balance it all.
Don’t worry! there are a few key principles to college success that will make you feel like you have your shit together and propel you into some amazing opportunities.
Without further ado, here are the highly-rated habits that all successful college students do.
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They go to office hours
I know! I know! This rule has been regurgitated by professors and college students alike and I’m sure it’s not the first time you've heard it. Yet it is still always worth mentioning because students don't do it enough!
I could give you a laundry list of reasons for why you should, but just know that if you don't, you're cheating yourself and stunting your own progress in college (even if you get good grades!). College isn't only about good grades! It's about connections and support too.
They take good notes
Good notes can be subjective but essentially you want to take organized notes that are legible.
You want to pick out the juicy bits from what the professor said and write it in a coherent way that post-class you can understand.
This can seem daunting for us sloppy writers but there are ways to hack this. Just look at college note templates online and use them for your own notes.
Here’s a link to the studyblr community on Tumblr where I find my notes inspiration.
They maximize alone time
College can be a lot of sensory input and it can be easy to get FOMO if you have to be the friend that stays in and get some work done and it's totally normal!
You're not gonna be at every fun event and you will miss things because let's face it, it's unrealistic to be having fun all the time.
Adjust your expectations accordingly and instead of worrying about how much fun everyone else is having while you aren't, use that time to get work done, do laundry, call your parents, meditate etc. Having time for yourself can be really hard to find, so really maximize your downtime to recharge and do something for yourself.
They have good relationships with their professors
Professors are people and they are teaching you for a reason. They have a lot of knowledge about their field and about life in general. Foster a genuine relationship with your professors because you will always need them whether its while you're in college or after and plus *usually* their just cool people.
They have a master resume
Create a resume of EVERYTHING you've done since high school and describe what your role has been in all those things and what outcomes have you produced from those roles.
In college, there will be a plethora of things to apply to and you don't want to miss an opportunity by sending in your plain old resume and not including that one cool thing that would stick out the most.
They have supportive friends
Friends will make or break your college experience. If you find yourself constantly feeling anxious or sad around your friends then that's a sign that you need some new ones.
Your friends shouldn't make you feel bad about yourself directly or indirectly and it's okay to not be best friends with the first people you clicked within orientation.
Your friends should inspire you and make you want to be a better person, not enable your bad habits.
Related: How to make friends in college
They have a planner
Blah Blah blah you've heard this one too I’m sure. But seriously, get one. And don't just get one because it's pretty! Flip through it and look at the functionality of it.
Does it have enough writing space? Is it portable? Does it have a lot of categories that fit your life? Really think about how your life will fit in your planner and choose wisely.
I use google calendar and my bullet journal because I like the flexibility.
They make friends in their classes
There's nothing sadder than going a whole semester in a class not knowing anyone. Not only are classrooms a valuable way to make new friends but those friends will be in the same class as you which means you can study together, get notes if you miss a class or just generally bitch about the class together. Really, you need a classroom buddy.
They get involved
You don't have to be an overachiever and join every organization on your campus like a certain someone (me). But it's a good idea to join at least one organization.
Usually being involved will teach you a lot of good resume skills and it will give your college career meaning outside of class + you'll be meeting tons of cool people.
They take action
Being a college student in this era means that your degree alone won't cut it. Sad, but true. However, college can still be a valuable investment if you make it, but that will require initiative on your part.
Keep an eye out for college opportunities, volunteer your skills, start shit on your own. The cool thing about college is the proximity to lots of tools to get you started on whatever path you want to go, you just have to be willing to do the work.
Being a college student is a serious job but we all mess up every now and again, even “successful” students. The point of being a successful student is to never stay down. So even if you had a crappy semester you can still be a successful student.
Being successful also means leaving college with your mental health intact so drink water and take care of yourselves kids.
