Though I have only been in college for about 6 weeks, I’ve already learned so many lessons that I never would have thought I needed to know. College is a weird concept. There are basically no adults and you are in charge of your decisions. You quickly learn that it is not the same as high school. Here are some things I wish I knew as a high school senior.

Understand Procrastination

Senior year for me was a breeze. I had taken most AP’s and challenging classes freshman-junior year, so my senior year classes I had to put in minimal effort in to get all A’s. Especially the last few months when school went all online and I literally just joined Zoom calls and they ended my year early. I also understand that senioritis is a real thing and it can be a hard habit to break. I highly recommend taking at least one challenging class your senior year, that way you are prepared for the type of classes you’ll be taking in college.

Time management is key 

In high school, I was involved with many different sports and activities so time management was something I had to quickly learn. It was not that hard for me to keep the same mindset in college, but I saw in a lot of my peers that they had awful time management skills and really struggled with classes, especially with them being online. Learn how to spend your time wisely and get your work done without leaving it to the last minute.

Take dual credit courses

One thing I wish I had done before going to college is take dual credit classes. I love the classes I am taking at the University of Iowa but I realize now I could have already had the credit for the required courses and taken other classes that I would have enjoyed even more. It also would have been a lot cheaper for me to have taken some of my classes through a dual credit program so I could take more classes that were more focused on my major.

Self-care is key 

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that self-care is the solution to all of your problems. Back in high school I never really worried about taking care of myself because I was in school, but also doing a lot of other things that I loved. That felt like self-care to me. In college, I don’t have sports or the luxury of seeing my hometown friends when I’m down, so I have been exploring different things to do when I feel stressed or homesick. I suggest you find something to help you cope with pressure or stress before you go to college. It will be super helpful!

I realize that the college admissions process is probably very different for a lot of you given the pandemic, but just know there is always someone out there willing to help. If anyone has any questions please feel free to comment below and I will do my absolute best to answer or refer you to someone who can answer for you!