13 Habits of a Successful College Student

The thought of being a successful college student may sound daunting. But the truth is that it really is easier than you think. College can really be the best or worst times of our lives.

When you start good habits in college, you set yourself up to endure the steps to success in college and can really make the most of your time.

However, if you allow bad habits to enter your life, your college experience could not turn out the way you would hope.

I have put together a lest of the best habits to start for college students to promote optimal success and to make your college experience 10x better.

How to Survive in College: 13 Keys to Success in College

Plan out your week

Having a productive Sunday routine has honestly changed my life.

Being able to see all of your tasks for the week will allow to go into the week the plan and avoid any surprise assignments that you may have forgotten about.

Plan out your day

Creating a plan for your day will allow you to ensure that you are using your time wisely throughout the course of the day. Without planning out my days, I find it hard to stay on track with my responsibilities.

I find it helpful to plan out each our of my day in detail in order to maximize my productivity throughout the day.

Study 1 week before tests

Cramming 2 days before tests is not the move (trust me, I learned the hard day my freshman year). By planning out your weeks as suggested in the tip, you will be able to plan the amount of time needed to study for your tests.

Break up your studying

This tip has truly saved my GPA over the last year, and I hope it helps you as well as it has helped me.

Say your exam is over 4 chapters. What you would do is study 1 chapter over the course of 2 days until you have finished all of the content for the exam.

By doing this, you will allow your brain to retain more information due to the fact that it’s only absorbing a minimal amount of information at a time. This also allows you to study for a smaller amount of time. Studies show that studying for smaller increments of time rather that long study sessions promote maximum learning efficiency.

Go to class

Skipping class always seems like a good idea; especially when your professor doesn’t take attendance. However, in order to be a successful college student, you have to class.

At the end of the day, skipping class doesn’t hurt anyone but yourself.

Now, I know things happens and some days, class is just really not the move. I suggest effectively mapping out the days you decide to skip if that is what you are choosing to do.

For example, I suggest not skipping class the week of or the week before a test.

Email your professor

Staying in regular contact with your professor will seriously help you in the long run.

Now, you don’t have to have forced conversations with professors (because who enjoys that?). Staying in contact with your professor includes emailing regarding questions over assignments, discussing your exam results, or even just confirming that you understand the material.

Doing this throughout the semester could land you with a grade bump if you are borderline after finals.

Do your homework in the morning

If you are struggling with completing your homework after classes, I strongly recommend doing your homework in the morning.

You don’t even have to be a morning person. For example, if you have classes that start at 10 or 11, get up around 8. This will be the perfect time to start your homework.

Your brain is fresh and rebooted in the morning. You will be surprised how quickly you will be able to knock out your homework. However, If you still aren’t able to finish all of your homework during the mornings, I recommend doing the hardest or longest assignment first thing.

After doing this, you will only have your easy assignments after class and you will be more likely to complete them!

Establish a morning routine

Every successful college student needs a good morning routine other than rolling out of bed and hitting the snooze button 3 times before class.

Your mornings have the power to make or break your day.

As college students, it can be hard to find time to ourselves throughout the day. Mornings can help give us some of that much needed time to ourselves. This in turn promotes positivity and efficiency throughout our day.

Don’t skip meals

It can be easy to just roll out of bed, throw your clothes on, and head out the door giving no regards to fueling your body. However, if you truly want to be a successful college student, skipping meals, especially breakfast, is a no go.

Take the time to through a piece of fruit or granola bar into your back as you head out the door for classes. Your body will thank you for it.

It is also important to refuel during lunch time. This will allow you to keep your brain going throughout the rest of the day.

Be productive between classes

If you have time between your classes, use that time wisely.

Finishing up homework or getting ahead on an assignment can be a game changer especially if you struggle with procrastination. For some reason when I finish an assignment during the day, it gives me more motivation to continue to finish my other assignments.

Honestly, I get excited now when I have time if I have an hour or two between classes. I know that I will be more motivated and my procrastination will decrease.

Take time to rest

Let’s be honest, being a college student is hard. We have the pressure of keeping our GPA up, being involved on campus, staying active and eating healthy to avoid the freshman 15, and dealing with the other anxiety and stress that comes with being a young adult.

It is important to practice self care to avoid burn out. Even if it just means letting yourself take a 30 minute nap after classes or even taking a break from studying to grab a cup of coffee with friends.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, it is more than okay to just take a step back, take a breath, and give yourself time to reboot.

Create good spending habits

College is the perfect time to create good spending habits. For some of you, this the first time you are out on your own and are responsible for your own daily necessities.

Whether that be buying your own groceries, household items, or even paying your own bills.

Creating good spending habits now will set you up for success in the future. When you are able to properly handle little, when you are given more, it will be easier to handle and you will be more responsible with it.

Make time for friends

A successful college student’s life is no doubt a busy life. With that being said, it can be easy to loose sight of other things that are important to us as well: our friendships.

I have seen two ends of spectrum. Some people allow their friendships to distract them from their college priorities, and others completely neglect them.

Just like with anything else, it is important to have balance. It is important to know when to tell your friends you have homework and it is just as important to spend time with.

That level of balance is completely determined by you. For me, I get distracted way too easily. I opt to hang out with my friends after everything is done. If I am not done until 7 or 8, I usually won’t hang out with my friends. However if I am done around 4 or 5 I am more than eager to hang out with them.