Planning and Organizing
Ok, so you’ve gone through the visualization exercise and you have a realistic image of what college is going to be like. You know what your finances will consist of, your academic life, you have chosen the best way to spend your free time. You have a clear idea of the commitment required for your health and relationships. You even have an idea of what type of community activities you might like to participate in. Now it’s time to build that vision into a reality.
First off you must understand that your vision can be real, no matter how tall the dream. You must believe this with full sincerity. Because, and trust me on this, there will be others who tell you that you can’t do this or you are incapable of that. It is a must that you believe whole heartedly in the reality of your vision. Once you believe in it, it’s just a matter of shaping reality to match the vision. Simple enough right? Let’s see.
Start with academics first, because with a lack of planning this will inevitably be the first part to fail. You will need a sound plan to conquer any class that you decide to take. I say conquer because if you are going to have a plan, make it high. Nobody should ever go into a class with the goal of making a c. You might as well have a goal of an f, because you haven’t left yourself much cushion for error. So, to conquer any class that comes your way what do you need? First of all you need a calendar with every significant date for each class marked; test dates, drop dates, holidays etc. I recommend getting a full daily planner. Also it is important to have any contact information for each instructor in this planner, as well as their grading policies, testing policies etc. (Sometimes it becomes important to know if a teacher drops a test, or replaces a test with the final and such). This planner should become part of your daily life, as significant as your shirt. You wouldn’t go to class without your shirt would you?
Next you want to plan out life outside of the classroom. This includes locking in your housing option, finding multiple quiet places to study, finding local hang out places to let loose, and every other living arrangement that you find important. You can get as detailed as you have time for, the more the better. You’ll want to know where to buy groceries, a local or campus gym, where the computer labs are, places to eat cheap, a good walking route (trust me, you’ll want to take walks on those long late study nights), where to do your laundry (assuming you wash your clothes, and by the smell in dorms, I’m guessing some freshman don’t), and even good places to take a quick nap (and you will take naps…). You’ll want to have the internet setup at your residence before school starts, since many classes require a certain amount of communication to be done online (turning in assignments, emails, etc).
Finally it will be important that you take a realistic approach to friendships and family relationships. Once college starts it is easy to get carried away and neglect relationships. Before you know it, months have gone by since you talked to your best friends from high school, and your family doesn’t even know if you are still alive. Take care in ensuring that you can communicate with these people and ensure successful relationships, whatever they require. Some friends may be lost in the transition, as with any large change in life, but be sure that you don’t lose the ones that really matter.
Also as a young college dreamer with eyes in the sky, you will need people like me to tell you not to wait till you have a degree and make 6 figures before you go out and do good in the world. There is plenty to be done without a bachelor’s or master’s degree. There are undoubtedly more programs than any of us could possibly commit to; big brother/sister programs, habitat for humanity, doctors/engineers without borders, after school activity programs for youth, and volunteering in just about any field, just to name a few. Pick one, commit to it, and leave your mark.
Overall planning and organizing will be the most obvious key to your success in college. Your grades, health, relationships, and sense of community will all display a clear message of how organized and well planned you are, and can be used to assess where you need to be.
