10 Common Mistakes Students Make

Overloading Some students think it's a point of pride to load up on as many courses as the college allows (five, six, even seven a semester). And then they sign up for a double (sometimes even triple) major, and a minor to boot. Realistically, you should sign up for the standard course load and focus your attention on doing well in those classes.  Unless the courses and classes you choose are related to your chosen or intended profession, it's unlikely potential employers will be impressed! - USNews   Not Asking for Help Not everyone learns at the same pace, and not everyone has been taught how to study/write/learn in the same ways, so it's to be expected that not everyone will be able to keep up with the flow and grasp every aspect of their course.  For this reason, most colleges have places you can go for extra guidance, e.g. tips on how to improve your writing style.  Make use of these,   Procrastinating We've all been there, trying to make a start to that paper you've been avoiding for weeks but as soon as you've spent 5 minutes coming up with a decent title, it's already time for a break! If you find yourself: checking Facebook or Twitter every 5 minutes even though nothing ever changes, making lists of lists, and/or taking a sudden interest in cleaning areas of your room you didn't even know existed, it's time to get your head down and stop avoiding the inevitable.  Imagine how good it will feel to have something finished before your classmates and to not have to endure the last-minute-printer-stopped-working-5-minutes-before-the-deadline stress! Racking Up Credit Card Debt Credit cards can be dangerous for new college students. Before signing up for a credit card, be sure that you understand the terms and are ready to handle this type of responsibility When you sign up for a credit card, you are entering into a contract with the credit card company. In simplest terms, this contract states that you will pay them back any money that you spend including interest. Most students make the mistake of getting a credit card and going straight on a shopping spree, forgetting that the bill will be coming in the mail later!   Life's A Party Many college students have seen so many college party movies that they think college is nothing but one big beer fest. If you want to have accomplished something after your two to four years, you will need to maintain a good work/academic/athletic/social life balance. Class work, grades and athletics are priority, but we're not suggesting you never have fun, everything in moderation!   Skipping Classes Many students skip classes because they decide that they would rather be somewhere else, they think the lecture is dull, or they don't enjoy having to take a mandatory class. These students also tend to come to class late or leave early. As a result, they may miss important information and fall behind. Core classes are required for good reasons, hard work and perseverance are part of the process. Not getting to Know your lecturers We're not suggesting you suddenly become best-friends with all of your lecturers, but making yourself noticed (for the right reasons) will likely have positive knock-on affects.  Not only will your lecturers be able to recommend you for opportunities you may otherwise have missed out on, e.g. on-campus jobs and work experience, but they can also be a point of reference when you are applying for jobs.   Get a Job too Soon A common mistake made by new students is being over enthusiastic about getting a job outside of college as soon as the 1st semester starts.  While it is a good idea to be on-top of your finances, and for many it is a necessity to have a job alongside college, carefully evaluate how much time you can afford to spend working, on-top of studying, college athletics, and any other extra curricular activities you plan on taking up! Studying for Hours on End You can't expect to go without food or sleep for hours on end, staring at the books without a break. The words will blur and run together. The mind will wander. While it is a great idea to begin the study process the night an exam is announced, 45 minute studying sessions with a 15 minute break make more sense than five hours straight.   Leaving Everything till the Last Minute On the other hand, leaving all of your studying till the last minute means that your work will never show your full potential. Cramming, known as the art of waiting until the last minute to prepare for a test, is not good for the brain which cannot usually absorb a ton of information simultaneously. So this patented move needs to be tossed immediately. Study well in advance.