With the hectic schedules, overloads of homework and lack of sleep, it’s pretty easy to forget a lot of things in college. Here are a few things you should definitely remind yourself to do in the midst of the all the craziness:
1) Don’t forget to eat regularly.
Some of us have majors that don’t require a lot of lab hours and outside of class work, others don’t. Sometimes the dining hall schedule doesn’t fit our schedule, so remember to pack snacks and make trips to Einstein’s as much as possible throughout the day. Eating is an essential part to success in the classroom, and it’s much harder to focus with an empty stomach.
2) Don’t forget to call home.
Remember the people who got you to where you are now, because they didn’t forget you. My mom still asks me to call or text every day because she misses me. The adjustment to college life isn’t just something we have to go through, our parents and guardians do, too. Try to take some time each week to say ‘hello’ to the people who got you to your home away from home.
3) Don’t forget to enjoy the campus.
Christopher Newport’s campus is gorgeous. We all know this. You knew this when you walked onto campus for the first time. However, when you’re a student and you’re rushing from place to place, sometimes you don’t actually see all the beauty that’s around you. Remember to take the time to enjoy the beautifully designed campus and all of its wonder. There are trees to climb, places to explore and lawn to lay on as far as the eye can see.
4) Don’t forget the resources available to you!
During my tour of Christopher Newport back when I was a senior in high school, I remember my tour guide listing all the cool resources available to students. But, when I started my freshman year, I’d completely forgotten about all of them. Where is the Writing Center? I can rent DVDs from the library? The Office of Student Activities has stuff to make posters? There are so many resources available to us as students, but they’re not always advertised. Remember to find them, and make the most of them!
5) Don’t forget why you’re here.
Sometimes as students we get into slumps where we question why we’re undergrads in the first place. College intimidates you even after you’ve been accepted and have taken a semester or two’s worth of classes. As much as you can, remind yourself what your passion is. Remind yourself why you chose Christopher Newport to get your bachelor’s degree, and remember how lucky you are to receive a college education. As long as you keep all these things in mind, college will be a most memorable, productive and fulfilling time.
