Tips to Help you Ease into College Life

Moving into your college years can prove to be a bit of a challenge as you will be gaining independence and usually will have higher expectations upon you. To help this transition be as smooth as possible, let us discuss some habits you can implement into your daily life during your high school years!

1- Financial literacy- Financial literacy is an understanding of your finances and enables you to budget, save, and spend in a knowledgeable  manner. It can sound intimidating, but luckily there are resources that can help teach you this fundamental skill. Many high schools offer a course having to do with financial literacy, but if not you can ask for parental guidance, an informed family member or friend, or read up about it. There are many learning resources, however, make sure that it is a reliable source. Looking into the government website of the area in which you live is a good start. Look out for .gov at the end of the website address in order to ensure you are looking at a dependable source. This is an important skill to develop, because you will be more independent during college, spending money on bus fares, textbooks, food, and other budgeting. So as not to be overwhelmed by your expenses, it is highly beneficial to be equipped with financial literacy to some degree. 

2. Meal planning- This is important to all students, but especially if you plan on moving out. It’s a good idea to spend some time learning simple recipes to have on hand that won’t be too time consuming. Try out a few recipes and see which ones you like the most- keep those in mind especially for the days you know you will be extra busy and won’t have too much time to cook. This way you can spend more time doing anything else you need to be doing.

3. Hobbies- College can be demanding and at times overwhelming. It is essential that you have a hobby to help you unwind and destress when need be. Try testing out different hobbies and see what you enjoy doing in your free time- this can be highly unique and personal to you! It can be cooking, drawing, jogging, catching up with friends, really anything you like to do. You deserve time to unwind doing the things you enjoy, so make sure to schedule it in! 

These are tips that are important to have during your undergrad years, but can definitely be important to carry on into your professional and personal life beyond college. Keep these tips in mind and try to implement them early on, good luck!