Illuminating Your Path to Thriving in College
Once a student arrives on their college campus, what can they do to make the most of their time? How can they set themselves up for success during and after college?
With decades of experience teaching, mentoring, and advising undergraduate students, I have deep insights about what it means—and takes—to thrive in college. I’ve developed a roadmap for college success which includes specific action items in five main areas:
Wellness
Academic Success
Know and Use Your Resources
Build Your Community
Create Your Future
1. Wellness
As a dean, I’ve heard more times than I could possibly count that a student doesn’t have time to prioritize their emotional, mental, or physical well-being. I help them reframe this belief that they’re too busy to take care of themselves and realize that all of their goals and dreams rely on a foundation of strong physical and mental health and wellness. Even if a student values grades more than being happy and healthy, lunch with a friend might be a net win. Having a break with a friend may allow a student to be more efficient and productively engaged with their academic work later. And, of course, we all need things besides work to nourish our souls.
Wellness Action Items:
Aim to get at least 8 hours of sleep a day.
Exercise in some form each day. Even just stretch or walk outside for fifteen minutes.
Eat three meals a day, at least one with friends.
Meditate, pray, or take a mindful walk even if it’s just for five minutes.
Get off campus in some form. Walk in the neighborhood, go into the neighboring town or city, visit a local coffee shop, library, bookshop, or museum, see a movie, visit a neighboring campus, spend time with a nearby friend - whatever is possible for you at your school and in your circumstances.
Begin to notice what brings you joy throughout your day or week, then build more of that thing into your routine.
If you are hard on yourself, treat yourself as you would a friend - what would you tell a friend? Tell that to yourself.
If you take medication to manage a health issue or learning difference, continue taking your medication as directed, unless under the guidance of a medical professional to do otherwise.
Ask for help from someone at your university when you need it. It need not be the person who can ultimately help you. It just needs to be someone you trust who can connect you to others.
Failing is key to learning. Use failures as opportunities to move forward differently and with strength. That is, fail forward!
2. Academic Success
Students looking to shine academically often think all it takes in order to get better grades is to work harder, but this isn’t always effective. Sometimes, what worked for them or came easily in high school doesn’t translate to a college setting. Sometimes new approaches, support, and ways of working are needed.
Academic Success Action Items:
To start, every student should have a planner or calendar that they use to organize themselves. If organization is a challenge for you, an excellent place to seek help is your school’s office which supports students with executive functioning. This is typically an office of accessibility or an academic resource and support center.
Look up your school’s academic calendar and deadlines. Record important academic deadlines (first and last day of the semester, reading period and final exam days, the last day to add a course, the last day to drop or withdraw a course or declare a course pass/fail) in your planner or calendar. Record observed holidays and any idiosyncrasies of the calendar, such as if a Monday schedule rotates in on another weekday.
Register for a reasonable course schedule that works for you. Don’t take too many courses in a semester; do your best to have a balanced schedule. Don’t schedule all your classes on just a few days - spread them out to pace yourself. If you aren’t a morning person, try to avoid morning classes. Pay attention to class meeting times and locations, and give yourself enough time to travel from one class to another, especially if the classes are on different campuses. If you find it difficult to focus for long periods of time, choose course meeting times that give you breaks between classes.
Read the syllabus for every class thoroughly. Put all assessments’ (exams, problem sets, presentations, lab reports, etc.) due dates on your planner or calendar.
Look ahead for possible “bottlenecks” in your workload (times when you have a lot of school work due or exams scheduled) and proactively plan to manage the workload. If needed, brainstorm options with your academic advisor.
If you have a learning difference or a disability, register with your school for ongoing support. You should do this before matriculating.
Understand the course’s academic integrity policies. What materials and tools are students allowed to use? Not allowed to use? When is it ok to collaborate with classmates, and in what way? Under what circumstances, if any, are students allowed to use AI tools?
When setting goals for yourself, focus on effort, which you can control, not grades.
Get access to the textbook(s) early in the semester by purchasing them or accessing them electronically. You may also be able to use library reserve copies. If you need help securing the textbook(s), let your professor know and ask for help. Often, school’s have mechanisms and resources to help students access textbooks.
Sign up for any online course materials, such as a course account on the class’ learning management system or website.
How does your professor communicate with the class? Email? The course management system? Find out and pay attention to the channels of communication.
Learn and use proper email etiquette with professors and administrators. Include your full name and student # (at larger schools) as part of your email signature.
Start your homework early - Start as soon as you’ve received the material needed to do the work. This will give you time to seek help from your professor, course instructors, online course communities, peers, and tutors.
Do assigned course readings! If you need help learning to read efficiently, seek help from the academic resource and support center.
Print the professor’s powerpoint slides or other materials in advance of class so you can take notes on them during class.
Be active in class - ask a question or offer an answer. If this is hard for you, prepare a question or comment in advance. Let your professors know that this is hard for you, and they may have suggestions for you to contribute within your comfort zone.
Sit in the front row of an in-person class. Even if this is hard for you, try it!
Turn on your zoom camera for a virtual class.
Understand the assignment before starting to work on it. If you have questions about the assignment itself, ask your instructor to clarify.
Understand a problem before you attempt to solve it. If you don’t understand the problem, you won’t be able to solve it. Ask your instructor for help.
Attend all class meetings and be on time. Skipping class is like throwing the tuition money you paid in the garbage! That being said, it is important to prioritize your health by seeking care or taking a mental health day if you need to, even if that means missing class. In this case, you should communicate proactively with your professor and advisor about your absence.
If a health issue impacts your schoolwork, let someone know so you can see if informal flexibility or formal accommodations are possible. Follow your school’s directions about what students should do when they are sick, whatever those steps are.
Find a study buddy or study group to work on homework with. Do you have a class with someone in your dorm? A club you are a member of? A friend of a friend? If not, your professor or a staff member may be able to help you.
If you need help in a course, ask your professor or a staff member for assistance. Visit your professor's office hours or attend any help sessions associated with the class.
Consider doing research with a professor. Who is doing exciting work? Teaching cool courses? Learn about faculty at your university through its website. Approach any professor whose work interests you about possible research opportunities.
Familiarize yourself with the academic advising structure at your school. Who is your academic advisor (faculty or staff member)? Do you have more than one advisor? If so, what are their roles? Set up a meeting and meet with your advisor. You need not have an agenda, specific question, or a problem. You can introduce yourself and begin to build your relationship with your advisor.
Consider being a tutor in an academic area of strength.
Proactively identify a tutor for a class you expect to challenge you.
When you are settled on it, declare your major. This will connect you to your major department and its resources and community.
When making plans to go home at the end of the semester and for breaks, ensure your travel does not conflict with class meeting and exam times.
3. Know and Use Your Resources
Every campus has a wealth of free resources available to its students. Students should learn what resources are available and use them! Pay attention to your email and other social media outlets for your institution. Schools, departments, and programs will send updates and newsletters about activities,events, and opportunities.
Important support services at your school:
Career Services
Academic resource and support center (includes tutoring and academic coaching services)
Academic advising
Preprofessional advising (prehealth, prelaw)
The Dean of Students office
Study Abroad/Global Education
Accessibility support
Housing Leadership (professional staff members and student leaders)
Cultural and identity centers
Health services (physical and mental health)
Student financial services
The registrar
Scholar or leadership development
Religious and spiritual life
Library services
Maker spaces
Office of Equal Opportunity
Know and Use Your Resources Action Items:
For each support service or office:
Where is it physically located?
Check out its website.
What services are offered? One-on-one appointments? Drop-in hours? Special themed fairs or workshops?
How do you make an appointment or get help there?
Who are the important people to know in that office?
What is the schedule of events? Record some events that interest you on your calendar. Go to them!
What are important deadlines and policies?
4. Build Your Community
It takes time to develop relationships and build a new community. But doing so is an essential part of a successful college experience. Teachers and mentors are the foundations of the big six college experiences linked to post-graduation success.
Build Your Community Action Items:
Address your professor or staff members respectfully. Use their title (professor, dean.) If you are in doubt, ask them!
Learn how to write a professional email to your professor or staff members. If you are unsure, ask a staff member for help.
Stay after class and talk to your professor.
Go to your professor’s office hours for help.
Meet with your academic advisor. You do not have to have a question or a problem. You can simply go in to introduce yourself.
Seek mentors - faculty, staff, and peers can all be mentors. If you need help, ask someone for help. Be open to receiving support from others.
Be a mentor! Look for opportunities to help others.
Find a study buddy or study group to work on homework with.
Join clubs or extracurricular groups to meet like-minded peers and discover a sense of belonging.
Join an affinity group on campus to find peers that share your identity(ies) and develop a sense of belonging.
Attend social events - both formal and informal. You never know what life-long friendships are waiting for you on the other side of putting yourself out there.
Branch out to new social scenes rather than always sticking to what’s comfortable, especially if their social lifestyle or behaviors don’t feel like a good fit for you.
Be a student leader. There are so many ways to serve your college community. A few examples are: tour guide, student representative on an administrative task force or committee, resident advisor or orientation leader, or serving on the honor code board.
A campus job provides opportunities for connections with coworkers and supervisors, and even professional development.
Meet a campus leader. Presidents and deans often have open office hours, which students may attend. They are also often at community events such as athletic competitions or holiday events. Trick or treat at the President’s house! Take the opportunity to connect with any campus leaders that you see out and about.
5. Create Your Future
Every day I talk with college students about their academic and career plans. As they arrive on campus, my initial conversations with first-year students often start with questions like this: Can I double major in mechanical engineering and economics, minor in history, study abroad, be premed, and do a co-op? Truthfully, that is a tall order! However, my response is always the same: dream big. After all, time is on their side, and I don’t know what they will be able to achieve. I've learned through my experiences that we each have significant power to create things for ourselves - our future. I tell my students that building their future is a practice, just like exercising or maintaining good nutrition. It takes steady dedication. I recommend that my students approach working towards their future as a class for which they set regular time aside. They should do at least one thing a week (one Create Your Future Action Item) to work towards their goals.
Create Your Future Action Items:
Attend a talk or activity that interests you.
Talk to a professor in a field that interests you.
Talk to an alum who has a job that excites you.
Read an article or book or listen to a podcast about a topic that rivets you.
Consider: What do you love to do?
Consider: What are you good at?
Consider: What can you do that contributes to the world?
Consider: What can you be paid for?
Consider: What is the intersection of what you love, what you are good at, what adds good to the world, and what can you be paid for? That is your North Star.
Dream big - what do you wish for yourself?
Visit the career center and engage in their resources.
Seek help finding internships connected to your interests.
Seek mentors whether a peer, professor, or alumnus.
Build relationships - drop by an office to talk with someone you know.
Ask for help to achieve your goals - none of us succeed alone.
Engage in extracurricular activities related to your interests.
Draft your resume and have someone from your career center review it.
Create a LinkedIn profile. Get feedback on it from your career center. Invite your mentors to connect with you on LinkedIn to build your network.
Write a cover letter and have someone at your career center review it.
Get on Handshake or your career center’s job search platform.
Identify a scholarship or funding opportunity that you might be competitive for.
Apply for a scholarship or funding opportunity (awards and grants).
Consider studying abroad.
Identify a job that intrigues you. What skills and education does it require? Do you have them? If not, work towards them.
Apply for a job.
Attend a career fair.
Start and maintain a spreadsheet of your network.
Begin to build a portfolio of work. Tinker in a maker space. Document projects: personal and from classes.
I tell my students they are in charge of their college years and how they choose to spend them. At the end of their time in college, only they will walk across the stage and earn their diploma. Only they will have obtained the skills, experiences, and credentials they need to go forward successfully. I challenge them to do their best to ensure that when they walk across that stage, they look back with peace at their decisions and how they spent their time. This article provides many recommendations for capitalizing on these four short and formative years. I hope it helps students navigate their college experience confidently and with agency.
