College is a time where many of us develop new habits; some good, some bad (i.e. ice cream for dinner). Regardless of your newly developed, unique dinner habits (which I would encourage mixing in some greens now and then, just a thought) there are some things you need to start doing in college, so they can become habits you take with you for the rest of your life.

  1. Make Time for Yourself

I know what you’re thinking: “I eat ice cream for dinner because I don’t have enough time in the day to make something that requires more than opening the freezer and grabbing a spoon, so how do I make time for myself?” I hate to break it to you, but life is only going to get busier. Figuring out how to carve out some “me time” during your day is really something you need to start doing in college so that you are able to make it a priority once you get into “the real world”. Whether that means ten minutes of reading a book before bed, or waking up a little earlier than usual to spend some time at the gym, your mind and body will appreciate any destressing activity you do.

  1. Get organized

If you have a bedroom or desk that look like a tornado just came through, or are that friend who is late for everything, this one’s especially for you. Getting organized doesn’t mean that you need to start color-coding the items in your refrigerator, but you should probably invest in some bins and/or folders to give some of your belongings a better home than your floor. Utilizing a planner is also a great tool for organizing class assignments, meetings, and anything else that requires its own timeslot in your day, so that you ensure you’re always staying on top of your daily responsibilities and keeping your friends happy. If you are able to get in the habit of staying organized now, it will impress your future employer when you eventually get a job since they will want to see that their new hire is capable of keeping their tasks and work space organized, and knows how to be on time.

Fun fact: You can purchase a number of organizational tools from the University Bookstore using your HawkCard!

  1. Power through procrastination

We’ve all had those assignments that continuously get pushed down our to-do lists for two weeks, and then we panic when we realize it’s due that night at midnight. You’re probably even thinking of an assignment that has been making its way down your list as you’re reading this. Unfortunately, no matter how hard you wish it will, and how rapidly you move it down your to-do list, it’s not going anywhere. You have worked WAY too hard during your time as a Warhawk (and getting to this point) to throw it all away on a lazily written paper or incomplete assignment, so powering through procrastination is a must on the list of things you need to start doing in college.

One way to beat procrastination is to consider setting a goal of accomplishing a few parts of the assignment, and then reward yourself with a tasty treat, a quick workout to get your mind refreshed, or whatever else you feel would motivate you to work through the task. Now is the time to figure out what works best for you to power through procrastination so that you can confidently accept whatever tasks your future employer hands you, since you will have the BEST work ethic.

  1. Be positive

College can be hard. Life can be hard. But you know what? I believe that you can get through it, and it’s time for you to start believing that, too. When you allow yourself to start seeing the world in a more positive light, and can dig deep enough to see the bright side of the challenges you face (the ol’ “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” mentality), you will be amazed at how much more you will accomplish and how much easier it will be to meet your goals. When you think positive, you will be unstoppable no matter what obstacles the world (or a professor) tries to throw at you. Not only will you notice a difference in your mentality and perspective on life, but you’ll probably notice a huge increase in friends, whether you like it or not, because who doesn’t love being around a positive person?

  1. Focus on your own journey

Whether it’s secretly competing for the highest grade with the person next to you, or sending yourself into a panic attack because you feel like your besties have cooler internships than you (or have one, in general), STOP comparing your life to others. It’s time to make a vow that you will instead spend that energy on loving the life you already have and trusting that everything will fall into place eventually. You’ll be amazed how much happier you will become when you decide to stop caring about what others think about you, or what others are doing that you aren’t, and start focusing on your own journey. You, too, are doing amazing things, and it’s time to start acknowledging that!