Page 9 - Menlo School – KNIGHTtime News

KNIGHTtime News
5) Know thyself. Are you the type of 7) There will still be stress. 8)
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Always go to class. It blows my mind how often I hear students talk about skipping class in college. You absolutely need to go to be successful, even if your professor doesn’t take attendance. All of those gems (crucial test hint, getting extra credit for attendance) happen in the classroom, as
do announcements about upcoming quizzes and changes to the reading schedule. De nitely go to class.
GUIDING YOUR COLLEGE PROCESS
person who needs to meet with Something I hear from students all
your teachers and professors early and often, or are you better served carving out a few hours per week to self-study in the library? Either way, it’s good to start planning for this early. Make sure you identify your professors’ o ce hours early on if you know you’ll be knocking on their door.
6) Love thy roommate. You’ve already heard by now that your roommate doesn’t have to be your best friend, and it’s true: more often than not, students
are acquaintances—but not besties—with their roommates. The key to success, though, is communication. If you speak up and lay some ground rules from the beginning, it’ll be much easier than su ering in silence when things inevitably go awry.
the time after they get into one of
their top colleges is: “I’m so happy.
I’ve worked so hard at Menlo so I
can get into a ‘good’ college, and I
nally did it, now I can relax.” What
I don’t have the heart to say in the moment is that, come fall, you will
still have to work hard, and stress
will not evade you. If you’re not
careful, you can experience four
more years on that same treadmill.
Make sure to identify things that 9 calm you down when times get
hard. Is it tness and working out? Check out the group tness schedule. Mindfulness? I promise, your college has some sort of club for that (or you can start your own). Counseling? They have that too—and don’t be afraid to seek if out if you feel like you need it.
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9) Live in residence halls as long as you can. I know the apartment-style suites seem appealing, but they are not the social hubs of the campus. Research shows that students who are in traditional dorms (yes, the ones with long hallways of two to a room
and a communal bathroom
at the end) adjust much more quickly to campus life and have a happier college experience. You’ll be involved in a lot more cool things while living in a residence hall, and an RA with whom you feel close could
be an amazing networking resource.
10) Bring a journal. I can’t stress
this one enough: it will help with mindfulness, of course,
but you’ll also be able to re ect on your growth and challenges along the way through the most important lens: your own.
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