I started this post exactly one year ago, but never finished it for many reasons. The first and only reason you will get is: “I wasn’t quite ready.” What I mean is, it was my first summer in college and I thought I had it all figured out, but after spending a little more than a year here, I have a better idea of what I am talking about.  Now on to some thoughts for anyone going into college or still trying to adapt:

1. School always come first.

The first thing I learned is school is always first. If you are still in high school, value it. High school is nothing like college. Universities give you more freedom, but more challenges come with freedom. You don’t have to pay for high school classes to get a degree. You pay an extreme amount of money to go to any school to further your education. With this being said, if you are going to any program to seek more knowledge, your grade is your number one priority. The reason you are there is to get an education. You will be challenged academically in these courses, so you should put more effort into school and studying than what you were putting in before. Never take a class lightly either.

2. Worry about yourself.

Yes, you meet a lot of people in a school, but it is critical that you don’t get caught up in something tragic or unfortunate. Many people get caught up in the moment. I even do it myself. Worrying over the wrong things. It is better to choose friends that really try to pick you up when your down. Something else to do prior before school is know what are your boundaries and what makes you unconformable. School can be a crazy environment depending on where you attend. Always try to stay on your toes. Many things happen in a glimpse of an eye and can’t be undone. Don’t be a victim of anything and always play it safe.

3. Plan ahead. ALWAYS!

You always want to be five steps ahead when dealing with anything in life. Taking four or five class can be consuming depending on the difficulty of the class. Planning everything out prior to the semester has saved me from missing assignments and preparing for test. Getting a planner or program that will help you stay organized throughout the school year. Planners and syllabuses are going to be your best friend, if you wish to be successful in a class. Using a syllabus can not only help you what to expect, but it also helps you plan for deadlines. If you see you have three essays due on one day, write in your planner to start early on the essays to get them done in a timely matter. Time is precious and time management is key.

4. Do things differently next seamster.

I preach this in many of my blog post and will continue to preach it till the day I die. Try new things in school. Take things you noticed from last seamster that you didn’t like and try and transform it to something positive to yourself. Studying with other people, taking notes differently and critically reading can help you find alternative ways to better yourself academically. Don’t just use this in the class, but also take it with you as you go through life.  A challenge outside of the class could be leaving your cell phone on silent and experience life differently. When I mean “experiment” with life, I mean find what really makes you happy or what you enjoy doing. One thing I learned about myself, when I ventured outside was how much I love state parks, trails and taking pictures wherever I go. I would have never known this about myself, if I never taken that first step to push myself.

Those are my four laws for starting your new semester of right. Even if you didn’t care for anything I said, still take in consideration these thoughts as you progress through life and school. Also, if you have something to add to the list, don’t be afraid to drop it in the comments! Thanks for reading BlackSheep and don’t forget to subscribe to this blog as well as our social media, which can be found on the home page!