Surviving the big C

CEBU, Philippines – No, we’re not here to talk about battling out cancer. It’s actually the other big C—college. After more or less ten years of having to deal with basic education, it’s no wonder so many high school grads are raring to break into college. The good news about college? You get to start off at an entirely spotless academic slate. If you happened to goof up a whopping 65 percent of high school, it wouldn’t really hold too much water considering that college is practically a new lease on your academic life. It’s also your last chance to get your academics right before you finally move on to the real world.

If you made it out of high school as your batch’s all-time achiever (think Student Council president/Band leader/ Valedictorian/Campus King or Queen) don’t let your guard down just yet because college will be an entirely different playing field. This also adds the extra oomph on college since you’ll no longer be pitted against other equally brilliant students. Rather, college is a race against yourself, every semester, every school year.

Here are the top six tips on how to survive and thrive in the good ‘ol university:

Be in the know. Do I really have to go to another campus tour? Yeps! Do I really have to attend the orientation? Double yes. You never know when issues will pop out during your stay in college so familiarizing the ins and outs of the university you got into (all the red tape included) is the way to go. If you live in a dormitory or a residence hall, do not just limit yourself to knowing where the kitchen and the bathroom are. Get to know the people you are and will be living with for the rest of your university life because with your family island or perhaps even miles away, your new housemates will be your new security and emotional nets. Get to know as much as you can about your college, your professors, your course mates and batch mates. Trust me, you wouldn’t want to be like one of the three blind mice and grope around in darkness.

Organize, organize, organize. Time management in high school sure wasn’t a problem. I mean, with our schedules all ironed out and our teachers intently guiding us through our bevy of homework and projects, there really weren’t too many sked conflict issues to waste time worrying about. In college, you’re practically in-charge of your time—you make the schedule of classes, you choose which subjects to take during a given semester, and get this, some professors have this habit of posting semestral requirements so it’s all up to you to budget your time wisely and make sure that come the due date, all your requirements are ready for your prof’s perusal. So go and get an organizer, a PDA (if your parents are willing to shell out some extra dough), a wall calendar—anything, just to get you organized. Your professors spend eons just coming up with your course syllabi so you’ll know what to expect and when it is expected of you. Tip of the day: no one really buys the “My project got eaten by the dog” excuse anymore.

Don’t miss class. Ever had one of those days when you just couldn’t let go of your nice fluffy pillow? Even if you’re at the threshold of the those I-want-to-skip-school-days, resist the urge to skip class and get your butt in the classroom, stat! It’s not just about getting complete notes on your prof’s discussions. The perks of not falling into absenteeism include not being taken by surprise when test schedules and deadlines are changed. Those are obviously the kinds of surprises many of us are not looking forward to. Many teachers in college are also quite keen on attendance. Some of them even give out bonus points by midterms or at the end of the sem if you’ve maintained a perfect attendance. Swear, 0.2 can make a huge difference in the overall tally of your grades.

Be balanced. College isn’t all about being boxed up in your academics. Please. Where’s the fun in that? Get involved by taking advantage of your college’s cultural and social events. Got loads of free time? Lend a hand in your college council or in your Student Government, play in your varsity team, join an organization. College is also about socializing and expanding your network of friends. That way, you can kiss homesickness bye-bye.

Follow your passion. One of the biggest mistakes many college freshies make is starting on the wrong note by picking the wrong course. The more practical choice really isn’t always the tried and tested courses many of our parents may have been pressuring us to take. Go into something that’s close to your heart. You can bet your bottom that you can really make your star shine when you do something you are extremely good at. If you have a knack for writing, by all means, go into Journalism or MassCom. That way, you won’t really have to be counting the days until sembreak or summer vacay.

Don’t even think about cutting corners. Success in college is best measured by how much you’ve learned. Set goals and deadlines—and make sure you don’t wheedle yourself out of them. Cramming may have worked to some extent in high school but too much cramming definitely will not work in college. If you plan to cheat on your thesis or in any of your college requirements, stop. That, my dear, is the fastest way to get chucked out of the school of your choice.

For the incoming college freshie, college will open up an entirely new world. So many things will be going around in your life, so always be prepared to be overwhelmed by problems that can pop out anywhere, merciless deadlines, and a packed social calendar. You can sigh in relief however, because the truth is, you’re not in it alone.