By Maya Washburn
Looking to thrive – not just survive – in college? It’s time to get organized and find your rhythm!
CRF life coaches tell students, especially first-year students, to focus on time management and self-care to make the transition to college successful and ultimately live a balanced life.
FIU’s College Life Coaching (CLC) program aims to work alongside students to achieve this by providing practical study strategies, assessing academic progress, and helping students achieve their goals during their college years. . Students can make an appointment with a life coach.
ISC hosted a virtual workshop to offer tips to help students survive and thrive in their first year of college. It attracted students from across the university who each identified their priorities and discussed plans to achieve their goals during the session.
Aqsa Mahmood, college life coach, recommends that students focus on a few priorities, rather than stretching themselves by overloading their daily schedules.
“Time management is one of the most important things for students to work on…make sure you are managing your time instead of your time managing you”, Mahmood said. “Think about it; ask yourself what time management system you actually have in place. »
She recommended students take practical time-management steps, such as marking important dates and assignments in a calendar, taking five-minute breaks every hour, and setting alarms to track how much time they spend on certain tasks.
“It’s about building a routine with self-discipline and making sure areas of your life are well balanced,” Mahmood said.
Here are five tips for surviving and thriving in college, according to FIU CLC:
Identify your goals– Make them SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound)
Where do you want to see yourself by the end of the semester?
Stay motivated and hold yourself accountable
- What helps boost your motivation when you’re not? What strategies can you use to hold yourself accountable?
Balance your academic and social responsibilities
- How can you prioritize better right now?
- Which tool can help you stay the most organized?
Prepare for roadblocks
- Roadblocks are inevitable. What CRF resources can help you overcome this obstacle?
- How to be creative and resourceful when obstacles arise?
Think about your process and be proactive
- What strategies work for you? What strategies need to be adjusted?
- How can you continue to grow/build on your progress?
Hear what worked for two CRF students
Yvette Guerraa freshman student in criminal sciences, attended the event to make her change from high school to college more fluid.
“The transition from high school to college scared me a bit because it’s a very different vibe,” Guerra said. “The event was very helpful in that it really distinguished between surviving and thriving. Most of the time I’m in survival mode where I’m just doing my job. I want to thrive and make the most of all available resources.
Guerra enjoys taking classes within her major, which has helped keep her motivated.
“I’ve always had this kind of natural attraction to anything investigative,” Guerra said. “Now that I’m learning it, it’s no longer difficult to attend classes or work because I really like it.”
Guerra began to settle into a routine after the first week and recommends other freshmen to experiment one step at a time.
“Be patient with the whole process and with yourself,” Guerra said. “Take it easy and know it will get better. It’s your first time at university, so take the time to adjust to it. You will eventually be able to overcome it and develop a schedule for yourself.
Sabreen Khana second-year medical student who attended the event, emphasized the importance of using the resources available to CRF students, including faculty office hours, academic advising, and tutoring services offered by learning assistants.
She said that when she considered going to medical school, she prioritized her grades to keep her GPA high.
“During my first semester, if I socialized too much, I sacrificed myself for that period,” Khan said. “You have to make some sacrifices and adjustments in your life. Going into college, I think it’s all about adjusting and adapting to liking your atmosphere with your peers.
