College Life

Many people may argue that college is the most important aspect of life due to its longevity and shift in lifestyle compared to school days. College honestly can be considered the make or break moment of a student as it encompasses the real world elements of life with some level of security. Students live on campus independently with most aspects of freedom. Some students move to foreign countries to further their studies and dive head first into a brand new lifestyle.

College may be very daunting at first as there is minimal guidance from parents and lecturers. The system no longer mimics school as students are expected to create their own life journey with all the resources provided. Flexibility is provided in a multitude of aspects and students are given the opportunity to truly chase their life passion.

Academic

College may have many aspects to it but the main one will always be the academical aspect of it. We go to college to receive a higher education and prepare ourselves for the real world. Many students fail in this aspect and it effects their future in more than one way. not only does this greatly decrease job opportunity but it also burns a massive hole in the pocket having basically thrown away hundreds of thousands and not even receiving a piece of paper to credit that amount of money at the end of the day.

College comprises of various academic elements, some are written tests, course works and even practical lab work. all this contributes towards the CGPA/GPA. This is what determines a student’s academical level and also validates years of hard work. Attaining a respectable CGPA requires a lot of sacrifices and planning. A 4.0 is every students dream and it is very much possible to get it with a little smart thinking.

• Constantly study regardless of when the exams are scheduled for.
• Find interesting ways to incorporate education into your day to day life.
• Find friends who share the same passion and goal as you.
• Ensure your consumption of media is somehow related to the field of studies you are pursuing.
• Go above and beyond when it comes to researching assignments.
• Don’t just learn what is required but instead go the extra mile so you are always ahead of the herd.
• Form intellectual relationships with your lecturers so you can always approach them in a time of need.
• Immerse yourself in the course you are taking by reading books by esteemed individuals in the chosen field.

Passion Projects

Academics may be important but there is more to life than just studying. Anyone can study if given the right motivation, lock a man in a room with nothing but a book and he will master the contents of it. A strong academic is a good base but its also universal, everyone studies the same syllabus so there has to be something else that can act as a differentiating factor. Create your own niche in college, if you enjoy music then pursue that passion even if it means going out of your way to perform at a bar or even spend the night writing your own music.

Don’t just bend the knee to academics altogether, there is more to life than staring at a fucking book. Even the greatest minds in the world didn’t just do one thing, they are known for experimentation and breaking boundaries. Stop replicating greatness and form your own definition of the word. Passion projects are the best ways to make it big in an industry as you deeply enjoy what you are doing. Find ways to incorporate your education with other things you enjoy. If you like to paint but you are studying business, why not paint a depiction from the mind of an accountant. These are works that will never be replicated as they are unique to you.

Some students choose to get involved in NGO or non profit organisations and these are excellent choices to stay occupied when studying in college. School sort of boxed out a lot of outside opportunities when it came to activities but now in college there is a lot flexibility. When joining a NGO, its best to find an organisation that you truly believe in and are passionate about. If you are an environmentalist then consider joining organisations such as Greenpeace and Global Environment Centre (GEC). These organisations will allow you to form real world connections and form social networks that are highly beneficial during work life.

Unique Lifestyle

College allows you to form your own lifestyle without being confined by a predetermined life that has been modeled by your parents. You can sort of build your own day to day life by putting your own priorities in check when forming a new life. You have the ability to start fresh and figure tings out from trial and error, the life you end up choosing will be yours as you will continue this lifestyle through adulthood. With this in mind, don’t take your college life lightly and just live randomly without a rough system in place.

If you choose to just sleep till classes and eat snacks with the thought that its just college, you are unknowingly setting yourself up for failure. As you grow older you will end up leaning back into this unhealthy lifestyle without realizing it. Try to build a balanced lifestyle that incorporates a multitude of things as it will allow you to truly understand time management and how you will tackle future problems with a set of constraints. College life really allows you to live within your means and develop life skills such as paying utility bills, doing your laundry, managing your transportation and of course time management to avoid burn outs.

Hookup Culture

Love life is obviously a huge part of college and hookup culture has been the method of showing love as its already been normalized at this point in society. The hookup culture has become more widespread as students buy into the idea of relationships which are null of emotions. Students just hookup and form no bonds whatsoever with the other individual and this lifestyle holds drawbacks. For one, students may contract STI’s as they sleep around without being tested. Students are also blocking out their true feelings by pretending that true love is irrelevant.

This culture is normal among students as they just want to have fun and not have to worry about things that happen in their life. Sex is just one of those ways to get pleasure and throw away all of our life worries. The only thing students should remember is to practice safe sex and use contraception. This is extremely important to avoid a slip up from haunting the life of a student through their college life. Students also should realize that they shouldn’t feel forced to embrace this culture and all of this should be by choice rather than peer pressure.

The Ultimate College Experience

The path to creating the ultimate college experience depends on the individual. Each and every person will have a unique college life depending on what aspects they want to focus on but the best way to approach something is always with an open mind. The more things you try, the more you will be able to understand what you like and don’t like, with this you will be able to create the optimal routine to get you through college. Get involved in all the things you enjoy and plan your time wisely so you’re always ahead of the game. Surround yourself with people who share the same interests as you so you never get bored or feel left out.

College for many is a once in a lifetime opportunity so embrace it and make the best of it from all aspects. Don’t recreate someone else’s college experience but instead carve your own path by trial and error because at the end of the day that’s the beauty of college as its a string of events tied together in a complete mess. Embrace the fuck ups and create some memories that you will cherish years down the line.