College life might be stressful, but it is still possible to stay healthy and well-rounded. Success in school doesn’t come overnight; it is something to work on continuously, and some habits will help you and some things you might need to get rid of.
Negative thoughts, chaotic lifestyle, poor time management — all of these factors impact one’s well-being. If you want to graduate healthy and successful, here are some things to abolish from your life.
1. Taking Too Much on Yourself
There are only 24 hours in a day, and you cannot achieve everything within them. When you have too many things to do, it is essential to prioritize.
Maybe your schedule is too dense, maybe some of the assignments are impossible to handle on your own. “Can I ask someone to write my research paper for me?” — a lot of students wonder. Yes, you can, as long as you know where your priorities are.
Always separate tasks you need to do into different categories and start with urgent and necessary ones.
2. Unhealthy Lifestyle
It is pretty simple, yet many students disregard this piece of advice. A healthy body means a healthy mind, and, eventually, success. It is impossible to be the best student in the class if you sleep badly, eat junk and party all night.
Of course, abstaining from having an occasional drink when you are 21 and older might seem too strict for some. But the studies show that the more students drink, the lower their grades are. Not to mention other alcohol-related problems.
Proper sleeping habits, a well-balanced diet and regular exercises boost the cognitive function of the brain and influence academic performance directly.
3. Multi-tasking
Multi-tasking has had its time under the sun. Yet, recent studies prove that it is harmful to the brain to perform several tasks simultaneously. It reduces cognitive performance, which results in lower efficiency. People who try to multi-task also get tired much faster.
Instead of trying to do everything at once, concentrate on one thing at a time. Try to study for shorter but more intense sessions; it is much more effective.
4. Perfectionism
There is no perfection in life. Focusing on being flawless and perfect is unproductive. If you concentrate on that, you might feel extremely anxious and even paralyzed with the fear of failure.
But failure is actually a good teaching experience. There is nothing wrong with making mistakes as long as you can learn from them.
5. Thinking That You Are Not Good Enough
When you look at successful people, it is easy to believe that they were destined to achieve greatness. But there is no such thing. Every success story is a tale about hard work and a little bit of luck.
No one is born a great writer, inventor or musician. All of that is learned through life and comes with practice. Even if you are not good at something, but want to be — make it your goal.
If you are not confident in your writing, write more. It is something that everyone learns. Even Hemingway didn’t know how to write once.
6. Going With a Flow
Do not let things just happen. Being well-rounded and achieving your goals at college is mostly about time management. It requires self-discipline and planning, but the results are worth it.
Always set goals for specific periods, like a year, semester, month or a week. Those should be achievable and clear. Not “to be successful” but “pass the exam with a good grade” or “read 10 books on criminology.”
Write to-do lists to know what you need to do throughout the day. Start with the most complicated and most important tasks. Still, you should not forget about leaving some time to relax; it is essential.
Download a digital calendar with all important deadlines, like essays, research papers or exams. Set up notifications for certain periods, like 10 days before the deadline. Be organized in your studies, and everything will turn out to be manageable.
7. Saying “Yes” to Something You Don’t Want
The amount of time you can save if you stop doing something unnecessary or unwanted is enormous. Saying “no” to people is not easy for everyone, but it is a crucial skill.
Do not waste your time on something you don’t want to do or you are not comfortable with. Do not engage in something that brings zero value to your goals and success.
In Summary
To graduate from college successfully, one needs to find a study life balance that works for this person. It is all about time management, prioritization, and setting goals.
Still, do not forget that making mistakes is okay and nobody is perfect. And, of course, stay healthy.
