Optimizing your time - Tips on Class Schedules and Meeting with your Advisor

     One thing we learn early on in our academic career; time is our most precious commodity. Unfortunately, this truth only becomes more evident as we advance our academic and professional careers.  As such, anything that can help you make better use of you valuable time will always pay for itself multiple times over.  Keeping this in mind, let's discuss how to create a smart class schedule that allows you to take only the courses you need to graduate and keep from taking useless courses that result in returning for a 5th year to finish your graduation requirements, and also some quick tips on how to communicate with your advisor.  Being smart with your class schedules each semester not only gets you through college on time, but also saves you thousands, even tens of thousands in extra tuition and living expenses associated with spending an extra year finishing up your degree.

Optimize your Class Schedule: An Intro to Class Scheduling in College.

  

     At most colleges, your schedule will be different on different days of the week, usually certain classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and others on Tuesday and Thursday.  The Monday-Wednesday-Friday (a.k.a. M-W-F) classes are usually shorter, lasting around 50 minutes while Tuesday-Thursday (a.k.a. T-TR or T-TH, T-TR will be used here) classes will last a bit longer, around an hour and a half, so that the actual amount of time spent per week is the same (2 1/2 hours for each class per week) regardless of which days you have class.  Many students prefer the Tuesday-Thursday schedule, since it allows them to have every Friday off (which is why many schools' Greek organizations tend to have their weekly parties on Thursdays instead of Friday's).  This is not true of all schools however; at some schools the length of each class period is the same no matter which days you have classes on, and instead of having to choose between a schedule with 3 class days a week or 2, they simply alternate Fridays.  This means that one week the Monday-Wednesday classes will also have a Friday class, then the next week the Tuesday-Thursday classes will have a Friday class, and it alternates in this way throughout the semester.  

     I' m sure basically all prospective students young and old reading this are thinking the same thing, "I'm totally going for the Tuesday-Thursday classes!", and why wouldn't you?  It's a whole extra day off every week!  Well, don't get overly excited yet, because in all honesty it rarely works out so that you can have all your classes scheduled on M-W-F or T-TR.  In most cases, to get the classes you want (and need) you will have to have classes every day, some being M-W-F and others T-TR.  Now this is a great time for a little friendly advice:  If you ever have a choice (and at some point you will) between getting to take all the classes you really need that semester or missing out on one or two and taking courses you don't truly need just so you can have all your classes on T-TR, for your own sake take the classes you really need!  

     After the most basic courses in any discipline, more advanced courses have prerequisites that must be met for you to be allowed to enroll in them.  As an example, you can take Intro to Biology without any other courses under your belt; but to take Botany or Zoology (which are likely required for a major in biology), you will have to have passed the Intro to Biology course.  As classes become more advanced, there will be even more complex prerequisites, for example, to take Genetics, you may have to have passed Intro to Biology plus either Botany or Zoology.  This may not be exactly how it works at your particular school, but it will have some sort of similar requirements; I'm just giving you an example to help you understand how it works.  So say you decide not to take Botany or Zoology your second semester because it will force you into a 5 days-a-week schedule instead of the 2 days-a-week schedule you were hoping for; when you go to sign up for classes next semester, you may only be able to take either Botany or Zoology, not both together.  Genetics is still available, but you don't meet the prerequisites because you didn't take Botany or Zoology last semester like your other classmates did, so you are stuck and can't take any more classes that count towards your major until next semester!  Now you are behind schedule to graduate, while also being forced into taking (and paying for) classes that will not count toward your major, and therefore don't count toward you graduating on time.  This is a trap that many, many students fall into early on in college, and it ends up taking 5 years to graduate instead of 4, which can ultimately cost you thousands to tens of thousands of dollars depending on your school.  You will always have a few friends that seem to magically work out their schedules so that they only have to attend classes two days a week, but try to remember when you're sitting in class resenting the fact that they are still asleep in their bed, that they will be the one sitting in the classroom later while you have already graduated and are making a great living.  

Advice on Advising your Advisor (try saying that 3 times fast). 

     It cannot be overstated how important it is to have all the knowledge you can gather about the most efficient path towards completing your major or area of concentration.  Your advisor can help a great deal in creating an efficient 4 year plan to graduate on time, but don't take their word as law.  Most advisors are extremely helpful and will do their very best to help you succeed in the most effective way possible, but some can be just going through the motions and may not have reviewed your completed classes and looked at all the possible ways you can move forward.  Advisors typically see many students, and sometimes they can go into "autopilot", basically recommending the same exact classes for everyone that comes in.  Make sure to be as prepared as possible for any meeting you have scheduled with an advisor, so you can ask good questions (this tends to snap them out of "autopilot"), and so you won't be afraid to question their recommendations if the need arises.  If your advisor is unresponsive to your questions and concerns, you may have to try to see another professor (perhaps one you have already built a good relationship with) and see if they have any suggestions on how you should move forward.  Professors typically won't contradict another professor, but if you can show them good evidence for why you should deviate from your advisor's plan, a good professor will ensure that you are able to do so.

 

What is your biggest problem with being successful in college?

      Let me know what your biggest hurdles have been in your academic career, and I will personally help you figure out the best way to deal with them.  Whether it is a struggle in study, time management, organization, relationships, adjusting to college life, or making important decisions associated with college.  I would love to help you out, just let me know what the problem is! I can also help with tutoring privately if that is what you need.  Thanks for reading, hope to hear from you soon!

Do Things You Enjoy!

     This may not initially make sense as a study tip, but bear with me... Studying for your classes, reviewing the day's material, memorizing, and learning to apply your new knowledge are the only way to truly excel in college, and if you fail to do this you will likely just be "getting by" or even failing before long.  But I urge you to also make some time to do the things you love.  If you do nothing but eat, sleep, and study, sooner or later you are going to burn out.  Yes, for a while you will be on top of the world, doing wonderfully in all your classes and gaining praise from your family and friends... but after a while the joy of doing well academically will start to fade.  It may happen quickly, during even the first semester, or it may happen much later as a senior or graduate student, but when the regret and resentment starts to set in, it can drain all the joy right out of your life.  I have seen this play out in two ways:

1. You get so tired of always studying and missing out on doing the things you used to love to do, that you just up and stop studying altogether and go on a fun binge that you may or may not ever come back from.  This seems to happen to people at the worst times too, like exam week.  The pressure they place on themselves and the expectations their family and loved ones have becomes too much and they simply have to escape it all for a while.  This can have dramatically damaging effects on your grades and your mental state, leaving you wondering why you ever started down this path in the first place.  You are then unable to succeed, and only get half of what we are all looking for from college; a life we enjoy, but without success you can't fully enjoy your life because you are always having to worry about how to get by and just survive living paycheck to paycheck. Or...

2. The pressure and expectations placed on you by yourself and those you love gets so high that you almost can't take it anymore.  You miss enjoying life the way you used to, and you wonder what is the point of all this if I am not able to enjoy my life and be happy?  But instead of cracking and just going off on a fun binge, you refuse to let down the ones you love and simply push through, and you continue to do this throughout the rest of your college and professional career.  You are a great success, but there is no real joy in your life, and you still end up with only half of what we are all looking for; success, but you are unable to enjoy being successful because you have trained yourself to abstain from enjoyable activities for fear that you will become distracted and lose all you have worked for.

     In either case, you are only able to get part of what you desire out of life.  So my point here is that a big part of college is being able to balance different aspects of your life, and be diligent about studying, but also make time for the things you enjoy.  You can't always do the fun stuff, but you shouldn't cut it out of your life either.  By taking some time every week, say, one day of the weekend and committing part of that day to doing whatever it is that makes you happy, you will be able to go back to studying the next day feeling refreshed and recharged.  You will realize that while you are studying in order to one day be successful, the whole reason you want to be successful is so that you can enjoy and get the most out of life.  With this kind of balance in your life, you will be a much happier and more energetic person, and you will bring joy to yourself and all those around you.  You won't be resentful of others when you see or hear of them having fun, and you can simply smile and get back into what you are studying, remembering that you are going to be doing something you really enjoy soon too.

Choosing your Study Area(s)

     One of the most important (arguably the most important) aspects of study is choosing where you will do your studying.  Choosing a study area is a key part to efficient and effective use of your study time.  You want to choose study areas that are easy for you to get to from where you are living, so you aren't wasting a lot of time every day getting to and from your study area.  You also want to choose an area that doesn't have a lot of traffic, or at least doesn't have a lot of traffic at the times of day you have designated as study time.  Choosing a good study area can be tricky, but I have a few tips that will help you find the perfect area for you and your group to get the most out of the time you have set aside to study.

Get to know your campus inside and out.

     If you really want to find the best spots to study, spend some time discovering all the nooks and cranies of your school's campus.  Every school has a few of those perfect little spots tucked away in a corner somewhere that very few students know about, and if you can find one or two of them, you will always have a great place to study and ace those exams!  Some good areas to check are the school library, any public libraries in the surrounding town, computer lounges (which are located in multiple buildings), empty classrooms, older buildings on campus that aren't used often, or some schools have very nice study spaces in the cafeteria buildings and dormatories.  If you start to look over a building or area in a building thinking there is not likely any good study area there, that is probably a place you should make sure to check, because most students will think the same thing as you and simply pass by it, and if there is a nice study area there you will probably be one of the few who know about it.

Know what makes a good study space.

     It's hard to find a good study area if you don't know what comprises a good study area.  It has to have the essentials; a table large enough to allow several students to spread out their books, study materials, laptops, notebooks, and everything else your group might have out.  You will also need enough chairs to seat your group.  You want enough space to allow everyone to be comforable in their own space, but small enough so that everyone can talk quietly and share notes easily.  Having good lighting is also important, and if possible find an area that not only has overhead lights, but adjustable desk-style lights as well.  You will be looking at your notes and books for long periods of time, and you certainly don't want to start having pain and watering in your eyes from straining the whole time.  Also make sure there are plug ins for power and for your laptops to charge.  The less traffic (students nearby studying or talking, or people walking by) in your study area, the better you can study there.  It can be very distracting to have people walking by and talking near your group while you are trying to focus on studying.  This is where finding a place few know about comes in handy.  Many areas also have certain times of day when there is a lot of traffic, and other times of day when there is little traffic.  Take note of these times in different areas so you can plan your schedule and study area accordingly.  If you find it difficult to locate any areas that have little traffic and are quiet, try going to the study floor of your school or public library.  Most libraries have a certain floor or area that no one is allowed to make noise in, they will literally ask people to leave if they are being too loud!  These can be great areas to study, especially when studying on your own (because sometimes your group may get too loud for these areas).  The problems with these areas is that everyone knows about them, so you may have trouble finding an area that isn't already occupied.

Examples of poor study areas.

     Your living space whether it be an on or off-campus apartment, dormatory, with family, or a house, most times the place you live is not a great place to study.  You tend to get way too comfortable there, and you also have access to TV and social media (knowing there is no one there to see that you're checking FaceBook will make you much more likely to check it often), food and drink, a bed, and all the other comforts your living space provides.  It is also easy to start talking to your roomate or whoever is living with you or is there at the time and waste an hour or two before you know it.  The gym and athletics areas are not usually good places to sit down alone or with a group to study.  There are people playing sports of some sort in those places from opening to closing everyday, and all that noise will definitely be distracting.  Your fraternity or sorority house is normally also a poor place to study for obvious reasons.  There will be events going on there all the time and when there are no events there are usually friends there hanging out and talking loudly.  Keep in mind that any of these places may work well for you, but typically for the reasons stated above, they don't work out well as study areas.

The Tools of Organization: Study Partners/Study Groups

     Once you have gotten your class and study schedules set, it is important to become familiar with your classmates.  Make note of anyone that you have multiple classes with, and at some point in the first 2 weeks of classes strike up a conversation with them.  Start off with a little small talk, tell them who you are, where you come from, what your planned major is (if you haven't chosen a major, let them know what class subjects you are most interested in), and let them tell you these same things about themselves.  It is very important to make friends and aquaintances with the people you have class with, especially if you are both pursuing the same or similar majors.  This can be beneficial to you in several ways.

     Find study partners early on.

     

     You want to find study partners early on, as other students will be doing the same.  If you wait to long, everyone will have already chosen partners and groups, and it can be difficult to get into a group once it already has several members.  Start a conversation with several of the people you share the most classes with and ask them if they would like to study together sometime, and unless they are completely rude (and you wouldn't want a study partner like that anyway) they will say yes.  Make sure you follow up with them in a few days, perhaps letting them know your study schedule and invite them to join you when it is convenient for them.  It is always beneficial to study with someone, because you won't want to look bad in front of them (and keep them as a study partner), it will force you to keep up with your class material and ultimately make you a better overall student.  Another benefit of finding potential partners early on is that you will have a higher number of students to choose from, so that if one partner doesn't fit well for you, you won't have to be stuck with that person, which brings me to the next topic...

Test the waters.

     You will gain much more benefit from trying out a few different study groups to find the one that suits you and your schedule best.  As the hype surrounding the beggining of classes fades away, you will notice some students begin to show up to class less, stop showing up to the study group or show up comletely unprepared, and generally just start slacking off.  This is not the kind of group you need to be part of.  If you begin to see this in your study partner, you should consider trying to join up with another group that will be more beneficial to you.  You can try to talk to your partner beforehand and convince them that this is too important to risk failing out just because they want to sleep in or they just enjoy not having anyone to tell them what to do anymore, but don't spend too much time with this.  It sounds cold, I know, but you cannot risk your own future trying for weeks to make another person "see the light", because it should be evident from the first time you bring it up to them whether they will try to improve or not.  If you cannot get through to them after an attempt or two, move on and find another partner or group.  

Choose a group/partner that shares your interests.

     You will be spending a lot of time with your partner and group, so choose a group that you get along well with that also is diligent about studying.  Don't sacrifice the benefit of good study partners just because you enjoy hanging out with another group more.  While you want to get along with the people of your group, it is best to find a balance between people you have a lot in common with, and people you can study well with.  If you can find the best of both worlds, that will most likely be the most beneficial group for you to study with, and you will find that you become fast friends with most of the members of your study group.  This will allow you to have a support system that can help you get through the toughest of times.

Choose people that will keep you encouraged.

     You will undoubtedly go through times when you are exhausted and don't feel like studying.  Having partners that will always encourage you to keep going will add a whole new level of value to your study group.  If ther is one thing I can tell you for sure about college, it is that there will be times that you struggle with a subject or professor.  It might feel like you can't get the hang of a professor's teaching style (or lack thereof), or that the topic being discussed is just beyond you or something you will never fully grasp.  This is where having a good study group with partners that care about you can save you academically and emotionally.  Sometimes it is as simple as knowing that others are going through the same thing and share your troubles with the topic or professor, that alone can go a long way in helping you to at least get through the tough topics and survive rather than give up and hope you can make up the points you lost there somewhere down the road on a subject you are more comfortable with.  Another great thing about a good study group is that they may be able to explain the topic in a different way than the professor that clicks with you, then suddenly that impossible topic seems much simpler and much more doable.  This can also work in the reverse; one or more of your partners may not understand something that you grasp easily, and you will have the opportunity to attempt to explain or teach it to them.  This not only helps your partners understand the topic more clearly, but it also helps you to master the topic yourself.  Groups can certainly be helpful in many ways!

The Tools of Organization: Using your Tablet/Smartphone as a Planner

     We live in a digital world.  As such, many students may feel that using a traditional planner may be too outdated.  Others may be more comfortable with a traditional planner, but it you feel better using your phone or tablet there are several clear advantages.

     Using a digital device such as a smartphone or tablet will allow you to get automated alerts and reminders for events in your schedule.  This is great because it allows you to spend less time having to continuously write down the same schedule over and over and having to check it again and again to ensure you don't forget anything, which is the case when using a traditional planner.  When using a your tablet or smartphone you can actually automate the process fairly easily.  With apple devices you can use the "Calendar" app that comes with the device to input your schedule.  Once you finish entering an event, you can choose to have it repeat daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly.  This allows you to automate the process so that you are alerted automatically and you won't have to check your calendar app each time you want to see the day's schedule.  So once you have entered in all the events for what will be your normal weekly schedule, you can have it repeat every week and never have to enter it or check it again unless you decide to alter your schedule for some reason (like exams, or seasonal breaks).  It is also very helpful to turn on alerts for each schedule event so that you never forget when it is time to study, and also when it is time to quit for the day!  This makes it far easier to stick to your schedule, because you are always reminded when it is time to study, and you have to actually dismiss the alert for it to go away, so it is very hard to just forget, truly you will basically have to consciously not to study.  

     This can be a great help once you get into the groove of college life,  because it can become far too easy to fall into the trappings of parties and social events (which occur nearly all the time, especially near the end of the week and weekends).  Another stumbling block can be to follow suit when you see your roommate roll over and go back to sleep when his alarm goes off for class at 8am, or when you decide to end your study early because you see many of your friends stopping their study early.  Don't be a follower!  Make them follow your example by staying vigilant and always adhering to your schedule.  After the first round of exams are over and you are sitting at a high B or even an A and they are just barely passing or even failing, your friends will come to you asking for advice and will look up to you from that point on.  

     Something you will always see for the first few weeks of classes each semester is the bulk of students walking around with their nose buried in their class schedule trying to remember which class they have next and navigate themselves to the correct room.  If you go ahead and enter your class schedule into your smart device as soon as you get your schedule, you won't have the need to take your schedule with you everywhere like most students.  As part of any event, you can include the start and end time, location, and for the title you can simply put the name of the class and the professor teaching it.

     It is also a great idea to put all your professors' information into your smart device in the "Contacts" app that also comes with the device.  You can include their name, office location, office hours, email address, phone numbers, and any other pertinent information.  In this way, you will be able to simply go to a professor in your contacts and call them or email them, rather than having to look through the course syllabus to find the information.  You will also look very cool and organized when you friends need any of the information and you can immediately give it to them.

     These few simple tips may not seem very impressive at first glance, but believe me when I say that making a schedule and sticking to it can be the difference between success and failure.  While it can be quite tedious to take the time entering all the information required to create these schedules and events, it is well worth it to ensure that you have success in your endeavors, and keep in mind that once you initially set up the schedule you never have to worry about it again unless you need to change it for som reason.  It is not all that time consuming anyway and should only take you an hour or less to create a good solid weekly schedule.  Once the information is entered and your alerts are set  up, you will always be reminded when it is time to study, time for a break, and time to quit for the day.  To ensure you never forget about a quiz or assignment, you can add them in as an event to your calendar app.  You can also add a second alert for the event, for instance have the first alert occur 2 days before and the second alert occur 1 day before.  For most of your classes, the course syllabus will include a complete schedule for the class including quiz dates and assignment due dates, so when you get the syllabus on the first day of class you can go ahead and create and event for each quiz or assignment before classwork begins to pick up and you have much less time to do this.

     I hope this information will help you to create strong solid schedule and also help you to stick to it, because having a schedule is useless unless you actually use it!  Later I will include more detailed information on exactly how to access and create a schedule on your device and various other features that you can use to your advantage.

Tell me what you want to know!

Please follow my blog and let me know what sorts of things you would like to know more about!  I would be happy to elaborate on any of the topics I have already discussed, or post new topics that you want to learn more about!  Just comment on this post or any of the posts you have questions about and I will be happy to oblige.  This page was made to help anyone seeking more information about applying to college, what it takes to succeed in college, what college is like from a day-to-day perspective, and how to get your financial aid in the most pain-free way possible, and I want to know what those who visit my page are looking for so I can provide you with that information.  Thanks again for reading, I hope by reading this blog you will feel much more comfortable with the process of entering the college/university world, and I will do whatever I can to continue to improve the kinds of information you can find here!

Off-Campus Apartments

     Off-campus apartments are a great choice for those who don't want to deal with the issues that come along with living in a dormatory, even on-campus apartments can have issues because of their location on campus, possibly being next to several dormatories or fraternity houses or even just an area of campus that is frequently busy with students throughout the day.  With an off-campus apartment, you also get to have a choice in your location, the type of apartment you want to live in, and you have the added flexibility of only paying your rent for the first month and the safety deposit up front, instead of paying the rent for the entire semester up front.  However, this also means that you need to be smart with your money so that you don't find yourself out of funds half-way through the semester, because an off-campus land lord can (and most likely will) evict you from your apartment if you neglect to pay them.
     That said, most land lords are very understanding if you build a good rapore with them and explain your situation should the need ever arise, but don't rely on that and just waste all of your money, because land lords are very good at telling who is really in a bad situation because of some unforeseen emergency and who is just not being responsible with their finances.  So make a budget that allows for the possiblility of an emergency such as unforeseen medical bills or car repairs, etc. and stick to that budget, you will be glad you did.
     There are several ways your land lord may do things; most often they expect you to pay all utilities plus your rent every month.  The utilities include electricity, water (these are the main 2 everyone needs to have), and the optional utilities of TV and internet.  Some land lords are willing to pay the power if you pay the water, or vice versa.  Most often there are strict rules against having pets in apartment buildings, but some allow pets (some land lords don't charge for pets, while others may charge a monthly fee or additional safety deposit for the pet).  The best thing to do if you start looking for an apartment early enough is to really look into all the local land lords and apartments they own.  Speak to the current tenants and see what they have to say about their aparment and land lord, ask any friends that go to your chosen school if they have an apartment and how they like it (and
would they recommend renting from their land lord or using a different one).  It can also help to ask the admissions staff at the school you plan to attend, as many times they have some knowledge of local land lords and apartments.  It may also be a good idea to buy a local newspaper and check for rental properties in it, sometimes you may even find a self-serve stand outside a store or in a plaza that has local real estate information.  Along those same lines, you could do an online search for "Rental properties in (fill in the blank with the town or county your chosen school is in)".  More and more real estate agents and rental property owners are putting their apartments online to help drive more potential customers to them.  Use this to your advantage and you can quickly gain a lot of knowledge about the rental properties near your school.
     There are also usually some houses for rent as well.  These can also be great choices, although most times they are a little more expensive than a comparable apartment (maybe $50-200 more per month).  A house can offer even more privacy than an apartment, some have a pretty sizeable yard included, as well as a garage or other form of private parking.  A warming though, I knew of many friends in my time in college who had houses, and they were always being pressured to throw parties at their house.  While I am not saying you should never throw a party at your rental house, I just want to caution you that these parties tent to get out of control very quickly and very easily.  You may invite 5-15 of your close friends, but when they tell some of their other friends and those friends tell other people and so on, in no time you have upwards of 100 people showing up at your house, most of them you don't even know!  It sounds crazy or like it's straight out of a movie but trust me, I have seen it happen so many times.  The next day your house is completely trashed and you wind up doing most of the clean up yourself with the help of a few of your better friends.  If you are unlucky, you may even have some permanent damage to the home that will cost you your deposit or be expensive to get repaired yourself.  Another thing to consider when thinking of throwing a house party is that if it gets too loud and you have neighbors close by, those neighbors will be all too happy to call the police and report the party, and guess who they ask for when they show up?  That's right, they ask for
you!  So bear that all in mind when thinking about renting a house, just like any other living situation it has it's perks, but it also has it's downside.
     One other off-campus living option is to live with a family member, of course this only applies if you happen to have a family member that lives within a reasonable driving distance from the college. If you have this option, it can be much less expensive since many times family members will let you stay with them for free or for helping them with some minor chores occasionally.  This can allow you to take out less loan money, and therefore accrue less debt, however you may also opt to still take the full loan amount and just have the extra money if you need it.  The biggest downsides to living with a family member (and this may not be the case depending on the family member) are that you probably won't be having a lot of friends over or parties, and family members tend to pry into your business more than you would like.  Some family members can also be very frustrating to live with in the long term, so bear this in mind when you are considering moving in with a family member to attend college.  You will almost certainly come out a lot cheaper, but you have to weigh that with the possibility of losing some of your freedom and privacy.

Greek Life (Fraternities/Sororities)

     A huge portion of the college experience is making life-long friends.  One of the best ways you can meet tons of new people, and have some of the most exciting and memorable experiences of your entire college career is to join a fraternity (if you're a guy) or sorority (if you're a gal).  Not only will you make lifelong connections with many new people, you will also learn many of the leadership skills that will help you outshine other applicants when you apply to graduate school or for a job.
     Hazing is known as any action or behavior that is in excess and causes emotional or physical harm to someone.  Hazing is something that can scare many proscpective students away from the greek life, but true hazing is something of the past, and almost all greek organizations have rules in place that stop members from hazing or bullying new recruits, and punishments for those who do.  So don't let the fear of hazing stop you if you are truly interested in joining a greek organization, you will likely make many lifelong friends and enjoy many experiences that will make you a more well-rounded person.
     One of the most exciting things about joining a greek organization is that you will get to participate in some very fun and unique activities that can vary wildly from solving problems as a team, to dire scenarios that are designed to highlight the group dynamics, where the leaders will step up and the others will gather behind them to help them solve the problem.  It was a wonderful and adrenaline pumping experience for me and my brothers, and I'm sure it will be for you too.  All these activities together make the entire group stronger not only as a group but as individuals too.  Everyone gains leadership qualities, all while making some of the most fond and exciting memories of your life.
     On the more mundane side, you will likely be sitting through weekly meetings either one or two days per week.  The meetings are very necessary, as this is when you plan parties, events, fundraisers, and many other activities as the semester progresses.  Make sure to adjust your schedule properly so that you don't fall behind in any classes.  With the meetings activities, parties, and time you will spend hanging out with new friends, you will lose more time than you think.  So make the proper adjustments early on and you will be fine.

The Tools of Organization: The Planner

     One of the greatest tools at your disposal during your college career is the use of organization.  Organization is the key to being able to get all your work done while still having free time to do things you enjoy, like hanging out with your friends.  I'm going to lay out a few quick and simple tips that will get you organized and well on your way to having much more free time to spend however you please.  One easy way to get organized is to start using a planner, and that will be the focus of the 3 steps in this post.


1.  Get a handbook or planner. 

     Most incoming freshmen will receive a free planner from the college or university, so make good use of it!  Electronic planners work wonders as well.  Have it handy at the beginning and end of each class, as these are the two most likely times for your instructor to lay out their class plans and assignments for the week.  Try not to get into the habit of waiting until later to fill in your planner, because you will be likely to forget some important detail about the next class or an assignment.  
     You can also jot down any social events or plans you make with friends in the planner, this will actually help give you some idea (when you review your planner later) about what activities will be feasible with your work load for a certain day or week.  After you are done with classes for the day, take a few minutes to review what you have written down in your planner.
 
2.  Check your planner regularly. 

     Your planner will do you absolutely no good unless you check if frequently!  Try to get used to checking your planner often, and once you do this for a while it will become habitual and you'll check it without even thinking.  Ideally, you should check your planner first thing in the morning (to make sure you didn't miss anything you were supposed to do before class), then give it a quick glance when you add things to it at the start and end of each class (this will help you keep the agenda fresh in your mind throughout the day), and finally check your planner one last time before you go to sleep each night (again, making sure that you have gotten everything done that you had planned, and that you haven't missed anything).  
     However, the most important time to check and review your planner is after you are done with classes for the day and have a few minutes to get your plans in order.  Get out your planner and a scrap sheet of paper, and you'll be ready to do the most important part of planner organization, making a priority list!


3.  Prioritize your list of tasks for the day. 

     When you are reviewing your planner, it may be a good idea to get out a separate sheet of paper so you can actually write out how you want to go about doing everything.  The best way to prioritize your assignments and tasks is to consider the obvious factors, such as how long will the assignment take, how difficult will it be to do, which assignment is worth the most credit, the least amount of credit, and so on.  
     The assignment that is worth the most credit or is the most difficult should usually be done first, even if they won't take the longest to do.  The length of time it will take to do an assignment is more of something to consider when thinking about how long it will take you to complete your tasks as a whole, not really in whether or not it should be done first.  And if you find yourself running short on time and don't have an assignment quite finished when it's time to turn it in, keep in mind you will be much better off losing a few points on an assignment that is worth 10 points than one worth 100 points!  As hard as this may be to do sometimes, you should ALWAYS place social events and plans with friends at the bottom of the list!  If an event takes place at a certain time, factor that in to your priority list, and try to have as much done as possible before that time, with your least important assignments to be completed afterward. 

On-Campus Apartments

     An on-campus apartment is a great choice for many adults that are returning to college and have to move from home to attend the college of their choice.  One aspect of on-campus living of any kind is that it is paid for straight out of the gate for the entire semester.  This is either by using your loan funds or by you or your family paying the difference.  In this way, you aren't responsible for making sure you have enough money to pay the rent every month like you would have to do with an off-campus apartment.  This is also a very popular choice among married couples that decide to attend the same school together.  
     You can sometimes luck into getting one of these living spaces with your friends if other spaces are already taken or under construction, or by some other odd circumstance, but certainly don't be banking on this to happen.  These apartments are just like a normal apartment, but it is right there on campus only a few minutes walk from the buildings in which you will attend class.  That is one of the major advantages of living on-campus, you won't have to worry about constantly filling up your gas tank in order to simply get to and from school.  Honestly, living in either a dorm or on-campus apartment, you may not even need to have a car at all, except on school breaks when you plan to come home (and at most schools, you won't have a choice because they close down the campus living quarters during the Winter and Summer breaks, and some even close them on the Spring and Fall breaks).
     However, depending upon how strictly your prospective school's rules are enforced, and what the rules actually are at your school, you may wind up feeling like you are a teenager back at a summer camp being told what you can do and when you can do it.  For most schools, different rules apply to those living in on-campus apartments than to those living in the actual dorms.  This is mainly because only certain situations will qualify people to live in these apartments.  This all depends on your school's specific rules, so make sure to check with any prospective schools about their requirements before making any concrete plans.  
   If you do qualify, these apartments are usually fully fitted, with a full (or mostly full) kitchen, bathroom (with shower or bathtub, or both), living rooms and bedrooms.  Check with your school to see what furnishings they provide.  Some schools even have a washer and drier in each apartment, or at least the proper outlets for you to place your own in.  If this is the case, don't go buying a brand new washer and dryer as they cost a small fortune.  Instead, try checking out a store that sells used washers and dryers.  You can get a washer dryer set for just $100-200 instead of $800-1000.  Other schools may have a shared set  of washers and driers for each floor as well.  Again, just remember to ask questions about these things while inquiring about your possible apartment living space, as these will all be extremely important in not only choosing where you will live, but it may also be a determining factor in choosing which college you ultimately decide to attend.

The Pell Grant

     The Pell Grant is usually awarded to prospective or current students over the age of 25 (because at this age you are considered independent), and have a qualifying annual income.  The portion of the Pell Grant that you will receive is automatically calculated based upon your answers to the questions in the FAFSA online form.  The most important factors that determine your eligibility for this grant are:

1.  You are over the age of 25, or are otherwise considered to be "independent" (in other words, your parents/guardians do not claim you as a dependent on their tax returns).

2.  Your annual income.  Do not get discouraged if you do not initially qualify due to your annual income being too high; there are ways around this!  

     If your annual income is too high and you do not qualify, but you are either having your work hours cut or quitting work altogether in order to attend classes, you can still receive Pell Grant benefits by speaking with a financial adviser at your school and filling out a "Student Special Circumstances" (or similar) form.  This form serves the purpose of documenting the fact that, although you may have made a certain salary for the previous tax year, you will no longer have that level of income, or perhaps no income at all.  
     In order to complete this sort of form, you must provide a letter or some proof from your employer that you will no longer be working for them as of a certain date, or that you will be working much less due to your class schedule.  You will also be required to provide a copy of your last pay stub so that the adviser can calculate what you will actually make in that academic year, which will more accurately measure what you should be able to receive from the Pell Grant.  
     For me personally, I was able to go from not being able to receive any money from the grant to receiving the maximum amount simply because I filled out this form stating that I would have no income once I started classes.