So you’re going off to college…
Gary and Joy Lundberg published an article for Meridian Magazine in September of 2010 with some great advice for new college students. This is a short summary. To read the entire article, click here.
- Examine your reasons for wanting to go to college. Learning is great, but you need to prepare for a career, too. You should graduate from college with increased knowledge, plus a marketable skill. You should have concrete goals in mind and a burning desire to achieve them. “Elder Dennis Neuenschwander said, when speaking to students at BYU Idaho recently, ‘Lofty destinations of lasting worth are composed of intensely personal dreams, aspirations, and ideas that demand the very best in you to reach them. The destinations you set for yourself must inflame your imagination and bring passion to your life. They must be worthy of the sacrifices you will surely make for them.’” (“I Take My Journey” BYU I devotional, May 4, 2010)
- College is not like high school, in that you won’t be able to bargain with your teachers when you fail to study or do your work. It’s sink or swim.
- That said, there is help available for you if you are struggling. Recognize your struggle early on and seek assistance either from your professor or a tutor.
- Balance is important. You may have to work for financial reasons, but even a menial job can be part of your education for your life ahead.
- Your college social life is important. Schedule time for the most desirable events, date wisely (the kind of person you want to marry someday), and avoid risky behavior.
- Set realistic goals. Pace yourself, schedule your schoolwork and activities, and don’t procrastinate.
- Be true to who you are. Make moral decisions ahead of time and stick to them. Avoid compromising situations like the plague.
- Don’t watch pornography in any form.
- Develop a good relationship with your roommates. This will become a preparation for your own future family life.
10. Watch your money. Never use credit cards.
11. Be active in your church and choose friends who will help you with this.
12. Take care of yourself. You need good food, good sleep, and good exercise.
You’re on your own for the first time without your parents breathing over your shoulder. You have lots of new pressures ? academic, financial, social, physical, psychological, and moral. But someday, you’ll be an experienced college student who knows the ropes. It’s the breaking-in period that’s the most difficult.