When you begin your college journey, you will be tempted to partake in everything and anything happening on campus. Unfortunately, you are only granted 24 hours in a day. You simply can’t fit each activity that you find interesting into your schedule, especially when your grades are a priority. And I want to emphasize just that: you should make time to get help on your assignments.

I have to say that choosing my courses as I talked to my advisor (which I highly recommend) was relatively easy. What makes college life a little difficult is the balance you have to maintain between multiple aspects of your growing selves. You make new friends while you try to maintain your old ones, you try out different classes while you attempt to explain your choices to your parents, you socialize while trying to maintain your grades, and you attempt to stabilize the flip ups that occur along the way. Not the easiest thing in the world. In high school, we’re given a study sheet and various practice exams, every day homework and help to better prepare for a test. But in college, much of that effort is put upon you, to an extensive degree. Even though mentor sessions do not seem as fun as they might seem initially, go. The visit may resolve a couple questions you’ve been having about the homework for days.

Take advantage of the services provided at your college!

I am a firm advocate of resilience and independence. Building these attributes enhances your ability to problem solve and to explore; but definitely do not feel that you have to look at an equation and know how to solve it immediately. Professors have office hours so that you can come in with any questions.

The support that is available at these institutions can be overwhelming if you seek them out.

Good luck,

Girl who needed to practice series problems for her Calc II midterm