how to set yourself up for success in college

Transitions are hard. College transitions are particularly hard, because everything changes. Literally everything. I am heading into my third year of college, and I feel like I have experience to speak on the hardest parts of the transition, and things I did to make it easier on myself. My freshman year, I had a very tough time. I honestly hated college for a little while, and was so worried it would not improve. However, by my second semester of sophomore year, I approached the transition in a new way, and it changed how I experienced college. Here are my tips for how to set yourself up for success as a person, student, and athlete in college.

Reframing your mindset from “new year, new me”. I get it. It’s a new academic year, and you have a vision of yourself living a perfect life, wearing cute outfits every day, doing well academically, and going out every weekend. Although I totally understand this feeling, it is important to not put pressure on yourself to have a seamless transition to school. You do not have to rebrand yourself in order to start the year on the right foot. In fact, more often than not, the transition is anything but glamorous. When you let go of the expectations you put on yourself, a lot of the stress of adjusting to your new experience will be alleviated.

Be organized. It works wonders. Okay, yes. I am the girl who color codes her notes and has a google calendar filled to the brim. BUT, I truly and honestly feel that having my life organized like crazy makes it feel more simple. When I can see it all on paper, I feel in control of all the tasks I have to do that day. Whether it is homework assignments, meetings scheduled, track meets or any other type of event, having my busy life organized on paper makes it so much more manageable. The last thing you want in college is to feel like you are drowning in your own life. Although it takes a while to implement organization as a habit, it is so helpful.

A snip-it of my google calendar for the upcoming year

This is an example of how I like to organize. It can be as simple as writing down what you are doing and when you are doing it.

Creating a space where you feel comfortable. Personally, college does not feel like home. That is just how it is for me, and that’s okay. But that being said, I believe the reason why I struggled the most during my first year of college was that I did not feel comfortable at all. I did not put any effort into creating a space for myself to feel comfortable and relaxed, so I did not feel comfortable or relaxed. My room did not feel like my own. However, I approached sophomore year differently. I brought pillows and blankets that made me feel cozy and reminded me of home, I filled my walls with posters and some of my own paintings to make the room truly mine, and I kept my space clean and organized. No, my college dorm room did not feel like my room at home, but I loved it, and it felt like a safe place for me to be myself and unwind each day. Having this space made me feel more settled and comfortable being at school. 

My cozy dorm from sophomore year

Also allowing yourself to feel uncomfortable. Transitioning to college, whether it is your first year or your fourth, is not seamless. It is not SUPPOSED to be seamless. It is important that upon moving in, we let go of the connotation that discomfort = bad. You are feeling overwhelmed, not quite settled yet, nervous or uncomfortable, but this does not mean you feel “bad”. This does not mean you are doing something “wrong”. You are going through a tough transition the way it is meant to be experienced, and giving yourself permission to experience it this way will make it easier. 

Treat yourself the way you would treat a child. In college you are expected to take care of yourself. Your body is your home, and although it may feel hard at times, treating it kindly is crucial. Sleep, feed yourself, drink water, spend time outside, get in some daily movement if it makes you feel good. In addition to keeping up with your physical health, do not neglect your mental health. A healthy mind will allow you to thrive in college, so implementing practices for the mind are very important. Whether that be calling your parents regularly, journalling, getting counseling at school, spending time with friends AND by yourself, treat your mind with kindness as well. While college is a whole new experience where it feels like EVERYTHING is changing at once, the way you treat yourself does not have to be.   

Do one thing every day that makes you feel calm and relaxed. Finding something that grounds you every day. For me, that’s mornings. Last year, my roommate was on the swim team, and had early morning practices every day. Because of this, each day I would wake up and be alone while I got ready for class. At first, I felt isolated and alone in the mornings. I did not enjoy starting my day feeling lonely. However, I made some adjustments and turned this hour or two of alone time into the most relaxing part of my day. I would put on a record, make my coffee and breakfast, slowly choose an outfit and do my elaborate skin care routine. I walked out of my dorm every day feeling refreshed, calm and ready to take on the day.

Balance all the parts of your life. In college, it is normal to feel that you always have something you “should” be doing. I felt like this my freshman year, all the time. It was exhausting. I would hang out with friends on week nights and feel like I “should” be doing homework. Taking time to watch a new TV show, or scroll through instagram when I “should” be doing something productive. Sleeping in because I am tired even if I “should” wake up early to study. The reality is, there will always be something else to do. But, this doesn’t mean what you are choosing to spend your time doing is the “wrong” thing. What you truly “should” do is prioritize what will be the best for you in the given moment. If you have homework to do but would rather scroll on instagram, yes, it might be more beneficial to shut your phone off and do the homework. However, if you ALWAYS choose to prioritize academics at the expense of sleep, time for yourself, time to see friends or other activities you enjoy, you will struggle to enjoy your time in college. You will feel stressed, and that you are constantly making sacrifices. 

For athletes: transitioning to college sports. This is an additional tip for athletes, because I wish I had somebody to say this to me when I started practicing with my college xc team. Unlike high school, you are now with your team all the time. You eat meals together, sometimes live together, and have classes together. Unlike high school, in college your team is a sisterhood. This is a beautiful thing, and I believe you should embrace it, but it is important not to fully delve into new habits at the expense of your old ones. What I mean is, if your team doesn’t do the same stretches that you know work for you, go to practice early and do them alone. If your friends don’t typically eat a pre-run snack but you always do, eat one anyway. If your teammate adds on mileage to her easy runs because she’s been doing 40 mile weeks while you do 30, stick to what you know will work for you. While I believe it is so important to embrace the tight knit lifestyle of a college sports team, you are still your own individual athlete, and just because you are running with your team now, this does not change. 

College is hard, and it is supposed to be hard. It is supposed to feel new, scary and uncomfortable at first. But I believe that taking steps like this will help you to grow into your best self, so that you can thrive at school.

SF