When you first get to college, you will be in a period of transition. You’ll have to adjust to a new environment, new living situation, new people and new priorities. Adjusting will take a little time, but you’ll settle into your new surroundings before you know it.

Here are five tips to help you cope with your new college environment.

1. Find allies
Find people who are intelligent, hard working and fun, and associate with them frequently. It’s never too early to start building your support network. Seek out people who share your interests and priorities. Mix it up. Find study buddies and party people. The more reliable acquaintances you have, the easier it’ll be to cope with your new situation.

2. Befriend your professors
Don’t adopt an adversarial take on your professors. These people are here to help you, so take advantage of it. When you meet with your professors during office hours, you’ll have an easier time getting through your courses. You could even form a lasting bond with your instructors. The more professors you know in your department, the better your overall performance in your major will be. Once you have completed your studies, these people will be deciding whether or not you are worthy of honors recognition. If everyone’s already your pal, then you’re much more likely to be recognized as a stand out student.

3. Play hard and work even harder
You can’t just study for weeks at a time without a break, and you can’t party every single night without getting your work done. Find a happy medium between social and scholastic obligations. Discover the balance that’s right for you.

4. Keep in touch with family and friends
Just because you moved away from home, it doesn’t mean that you have to break off all ties with your friends and family. Keep in touch. Call people. Write emails. Update your status with the people who care about you. You can still assimilate into college life, but you’ll have open channels of communication with your loved ones back home.

5. Learn campus geography
Get to know your way around campus. Learn short cuts so that you can get to your classes on time. Scope out quiet places to work, and locate spots where you can have some fun. The sooner you familiarize yourself with your surroundings, the more quickly you’ll feel comfortable in your new environment. Also be sure that you know you’re way around the town or city that your college is located in.

College is a new experience, but you can handle it. Cope by making connections with your colleagues and professors. Find the right balance between having fun and getting work done. Keep in touch with the people you love, and learn your new surroundings. Before you know it, you’ll be totally adjusted to your new life on campus.

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1. Go to class
Show up to your lectures and sections. Participate in class discussions. Absorb all the information that you are supposed to, and don’t let absences create gaps in your knowledge. If you miss one lecture in your global history course, you’re going to always wonder just exactly how humanity formed the ability to speak. You’ll go from caveman to the cradle of civilization, without knowing what happened in between.

2. Take insanely good notes
Take pride in taking high-quality notes. Write everything down, even if you already know the material. If another student asks a question, make a note of it, and include your professor’s response. Think of yourself as a court reporter, with you notebook being the stenography machine. Record everything that goes down and you’ll learn more. You’ll have a written record of all your class proceedings. You’ll be able to retain information longer because you have to write it down physically as you process the info mentally. You’ll be better prepared for tests and assignments, and you’ll never get bored (or at least you’ll be less bored than your classmates, because your too busy writing everything down).

3. Do your work
You’ll have an easier time studying if you’ve done all your work the way you’re supposed to. When you study for a test, you’re supposed to be reviewing things that you already know, not teaching yourself material for the first time. Get your assignments turned in on time and do all of your reading. The more familiar you are with your material, the easier it will be to analyze and apply what you have learned in tests and assignment situations.

4. Ask questions
If you need further clarification, get it. Ask questions during lecture. Meet with your professors during their office hours. Share knowledge with other students and pool together your combined know-how. Debate people. Always ask for more info when you need to.

5. Manage your time wisely
Don’t party too hard. Prioritize your social commitments and your scholastic obligations. Find balance, and be in control of every moment of the day. Make to do lists. Schedule in free time, and realize that your time in college is limited. Take advantage of it while you can.

If you just to what you know you’re supposed to do, you’ll succeed in college. The best study habits are the ones that work. So find out what works for you, and stick to it.

Success, Top 5 Tips

College is all about personal preference. You need to pick the school that’s right for you and nobody else but you. If you have a particular university that’s high on your list, there are certain measures you can take that will improve the likelihood of you getting accepted.

Here are five tips that’ll help you get into the college of your choice.

1. Have good grades and test scores
To make the first cut, you got to have the numbers. Most universities start sifting through applicants based on minimum GPA and test score requirements. These requirements can be found in publications that rank different programs, and you can also find these minimum figures on the admissions page of your prospective college’s website. If your GPA is less than stellar, then you need to compensate with high tests scores. If your standardized test scores are below the minimum requirements, then you’ll have to pick up the slack with excellent grades.

2. Write an award winning personal essay
The personal essay is the most customizable part of your application. It tells the admissions office who you are as a person, how well you can communicate and what you will bring to the table as a potential student. Tout your successes in your essay, and use the essay as a forum to explain any anomalies in your application. Whatever you choose to write on, make sure you have a tightly organized, well-argued composition that avoids clichés and sounds original.

3. Send in quality letters of recommendation
Don’t underestimate the impact of quality letters of recommendation. If you know a teacher who would gladly take a bullet for you, then have them voice their enthusiasm in a written letter. Follow carefully when including your letters of recommendation. Some colleges require letter writers to fall under specific categories (i.e. your letter must be written by someone who has taught you in the past year). Try to collect praise from multiple enthusiastic sources, so that you appear like a well rounded student. Letters of recommendation can also be written by employers, coaches or religious leaders.

4. Don’t slack off in high school
Your high school performance, both in and out of the classroom, are vital to your application’s success. You need to have plenty of extracurricular activities, but you also need to illustrate dedication, leadership, responsibility and achievement. It’s better to excel at a few things than try and overload your schedule with fleeting tasks. Be sure to explain why you chose a specific activity, and what benefits you derived from it.

5. Apply early, and if you don’t get in at first, appeal the decision or plan to transfer
Applying early can increase your chances of getting in. Don’t wait until a day before your deadline; send your application materials in as soon as possible. There are more spots and fewer applicants at the beginning of the admission process. As the deadline draws closer, there are more applicants and few spots to fill. If you don’t get in to the school of your choice, then consider appealing the decision. If that doesn’t work, you can always go to a junior college, complete your general education requirements and the transfer in two years.

If you plan ahead and dedicate yourself to achieving your goals, then there’s nothing to prevent you from getting into the college of your choice. Whether you succeed or fail is entirely up to you.

Admissions, college, Success, Top 5 Tips

Depending on the college your enrolled in going Greek may be anything from a major lifestyle change to few extracurricular activities. It makes a difference what kind of a presence Greek life has in your school as to whether or not it is right for you.More prevalent in the south, some northern fraternities and sororities are simply small clubs that gather for occasional parties and get togethers. It may make you somewhat of an oddity to join one if they don’t have a persuasive effect in the schools social and academic scene. There are benefits, however, to living the Greek life in a school that has a powerful Greek presence.

This is not to say that smaller schools have no prevalent Greek life. It may be the only choice to have any social life at all. Larger schools with bigger student populations offer other possibilities for friendship and outside school activities. Variations in Greek life are so wide it is best to consider the most basic pros and cons and then apply them to your own situation.

Housing is most often a big pro in the Greek life. Rushing (or joining) a fraternity or sorority can provide you with a large dorm house full of all the comforts of home. While not all schools have housing for the frats it can be a great alternative to dorm rooms. You share housework and responsibilities with your house brothers or sisters and get a general feeling of family that is hard to find away from home.

The Greek system has established itself to build better people through athletics, leadership building activities, community service, scholarship and most widely publicized – social life. They spend as much or more time on charity and community events as on socializing and partying. Membership in Greek organizations offers students opportunities to develop strong leadership potential by heading up various charitable projects for school and community. Membership can also provide students with lifetime friendships and future professional connections because Greeks have a reputation of staying loyal for years after graduation.

The Greek system offers fantastic ways to help students in their academic careers. A major goal of Greek life is to help and encourage pledges and members in achieving their absolute highest academic potential. Greek organizations give academic support programs such as national and local scholarships and grants, personal incentives and awards, workshops, tutoring and study sessions.
The social life of Greeks has been widely publicized in movies like Animal House, and although it’s not all fun and games there is a fair amount of fun. Greeks are active in their schools and communities and never have a drought of events to attend.

Consider your alternatives and the presence and character of the Greek life in your school before rushing a fraternity or sorority. But chances are, you’ll find something you like.

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Maybe your roommate borrowed your favorite skirt and spilled juice on it. Maybe you just got a disappointing grade. Whatever happened, you’re stressed out and don’t know what to do about it. The next time you’re climbing the walls over a stressful situation, try one of the following tips.

1. Talk About It.
Call your mother, call a friend, go down the hall and knock on your R.A.’s door — that’s what he’s there for. If you have a knot in your stomach over something, you will feel it loosen if you let out what’s bothering you. Reach out to someone who understands you and let them know that you are feeling stress and need to talk about it. When someone who cares about you lends an understanding ear, you’ll immediately feel better than being stressed out and alone with your bad feelings. In addition, talking to someone outside of your situation can help because the other person can offer perspectives on whatever’s stressing you out that you’re too stressed to see. Maybe it’s not as bad as you think it is, and/or maybe your friend can help you think of ways to deal with what’s bothering you that have not yet occurred to you.

2. Go To The Gym.
If you’re not big on talking, get physical. Stress is a mental condition, but it affects you physically as well. An intense workout like going for a run or taking a kickboxing class will help in several ways. Because you’re focusing on the activity, it will take your mind off what’s bothering you. And, better still, while you’re focusing on the activity, it is making you feel better. By exercising, you get rid of the stress hormones in your body; the muscles you might not even realize you’ve been clenching will relax, and best of all, your body will release endorphins that will make you feel better.

3. Ask for Academic Help When You Need it
if your stress stems from an academic problem, go get help. If you just got a bad grade, maybe the last person you want to see is your professor, but that’s who you should talk to. Cool off, and drop by office hours to see what you can do to make sure you don’t get a bad grade next time around.

If it’s not a bad grade that’s bothering you, but your problem is academic in nature, that’s almost a good thing. Go take care of it before you get a bad grade. Talk to a friend whose expert in the subject that’s troubling you, or email your professor with questions or a request to meet to clarify the coursework.

4. Do Something Fun
if you’re having a bad day, grab a friend and go to a movie, go for a walk, or grab a coffee. Do something that you like to do.

5. Make A Counseling Appointment
If you have tried everything that you can think of to make yourself feel less stressed out, and the stress hasn’t abated, consider making an appointment at the counseling center. Some stress for college students is natural, but if you are miserable for days at a time, you should know you don’t have to feel that way. Talking to someone in the counseling center doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you; it just means you’re smart enough to acknowledge that something’s not right and you’re taking steps to fix it.

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