The best way to handle all the fresh, unexpected challenges that you’ll face as a new college student is a positive attitude, as well as some confidence in your decision-making skills. Knowing how to make decisions can be an important life skill for anyone who wants success later down the road – from their first day of class all through graduation. Teens need to know that it is important for them to make responsible decisions. The Edward Taylor Coombs Foundation will not only remind you of the importance, but also show how having fun and being considerate can go hand in hand!
One of the major obstacles many college students struggle with is peer pressure. You will encounter all different kinds of people that grew up in variety of environments and who have values unlike yours. This can be tough but is also an opportunity for growth and learning to see things from different perspectives! The best thing you can do is choose your friends wisely. Surround yourself with people who won\’t force anything on you, but will instead support you in making the decisions that are best for you.
College students face being suddenly and completely responsible for themselves, especially those who are far away from home or are living on campus. These quick tips below will help you stay safe and be aware of your surroundings in college:
- Never walk alone at night. Always use the buddy system, even when you think you don’t need to.
- Use locks. Always lock your doors to your dorm and your car.
- Locate the emergency system areas on campus. Most campuses have emergency call buttons/stations around the campus. It will be much easier to call for help when you know where they are all located.
- Know your way around campus. Become familiar with all routes and shortcuts around campus.
- Never stay at a party when your friends leave.
- Always have emergency contacts programmed in your device and/or in hard copy in your wallet or purse.
- Avoid becoming inebriated or high and losing control. Stop and think about situations where you might not be able to think clearly.
Seeing as you are entering college, it\’s only natural that alcohol and party drugs would be around. A lot of people make the mistake of not planning ahead, and that decision can turn a regular night to a disaster. The best thing you can do for yourself is to plan your evening in advance, including how you’re getting from one place to another. Don’t forget about ridesharing apps and transportation options in the town where you live, too. We\’re all about taking care of our friends, and it\’s important that you keep an eye out for them. If somebody appears to be intoxicated or high, offering help or trying to stop them from getting behind the wheel of a car can save their life! It’s never worth risking someone else’s safety.
While it may seem like the smart decision to stay in on a night where there are parties and you have an exam for your 8am class, don\’t forget that this will likely cost more than just getting up early with some good old fashioned study time! Losing social capital can be hard sometimes, but there will always be other parties, and you’ll thank yourself later when you see those good grades coming back from your professors. It’s all about balance, and determining when it’s time to buckle down and when it’s time to go have fun. Getting organized and making time to study and time to have fun is a great way to achieve balance.
These lessons shared strongly resonate with what the ETC Foundation is all about, and we invite you to read more about our story here.
Good luck and have fun this year!
