21 Life-Changing Tips for College Students

College can be stressful, tough, and challenging. But it can also be an amazing experience where you excel and make life-long friends (and manage to make amazing grades)! I wanted to give you some great advice to thrive in college. So here is the list of my top 21 tips to be a successful college student.

While I had freshman students in mind when writing this article, I couldn’t help but realize this is beneficial for all students trying to navigate through college. I hope you implement some of these tips for college students and let me know how they improved your college experience! This post is all about tips for college students.

Best Tips For College Students

1. Import all assignments and due dates into a planner

Yes… every. single. assignment. This NEEDS to be the first thing you do after reading this article. You do not want to miss an assignment due date because you forgot it was due. If this does happen though, read the syllabus to see the late work policy.

If it is not in the syllabus, ask the professor if they accept late work but don’t make it a habit. My favorite app to track all of my due dates is the myHomework app. I have been using it for a couple of years now and it’s free.

2. Explore 

So many students don’t make it to this point. You are here! Congrats! You are in college to have fun experiences and potentially get an amazing job doing something you love.

So, take the time to explore majors, connect with new people that are different than the people you met back home and create meaningful relationships that will last you a lifetime.

College is such a unique experience so take advantage of this new opportunity to grow and learn more about yourself.

3. Be disciplined

Nothing will work if you don’t. You have to set clear goals and prioritize your time! Try not to get distracted while studying. If you want to check out my article all about the best tips for studying at home, click here!

Related ⇾ Time Blocking Your Life To Improve Time-Management (Easy Tutorial)

4. Introduce yourself to your professors

This will make you stand out from the rest. Especially in a lecture class with more than 50 students. They will remember you! Mostly because students rarely do this.

Making a good impression by introducing yourself can only benefit you in the long run. So don’t be afraid to go up to them after class or during office hours and just pop in to introduce yourself and discuss the class a little.

5. Reach out to professors with questions

Stay in touch with any questions you have about the class. Professors LOVE students who are engaged in their material and ask questions. By doing this you not only learn more, but they will be so much more excited to write you a rec letter compared to the student who barely shows up to class and has never visited office hours.

(Extra Tip: Look up if the professor has published literature (articles) on the subject of your class to use as a talking point. I did this one time and I was amazed at how much more in-depth our conversations could go because I did a little more research.)

Note: I also want to note that you can definitely be successful even if you don’t reach out to your professor as often. I stress how important this can be due to my experience with professors. Making an effort to introduce myself my first semester of college in a bio course and following up, opened an opportunity to be his teaching assistant the very next semester! So, I know first hand how helpful this can be.

6. Meet with advisors + professors + financial aid regularly

A closed mouth doesn’t get fed. Do not feel bad for asking for help! Do not underestimate how helpful advisors and professors can be as resources!

Being a student is the only time you will have so many people catering to your needs. So make it a point to ask for help whenever you need it. Be proactive in the beginning and they will remember you for scholarship and internship opportunities.

Get to know your professors, deans of your college, financial aid department, and advisors.

Go to professors and advisors for internship opportunities and scholarships to apply to that are specially for your major.

Visit financial aid for more scholarship opportunities, grants, and loan options.

Make sure you go early because there’s typically only a certain amount given each year. Also, I don’t think you need to go every day or even every week, but meeting at least once a month or every other month can help you significantly.

7. Join a community on campus

Try to join at least ONE club, sports team, or even a sorority. You could join a club related to your major, the career you want to pursue, or anything else that interests you. You not only meet some amazing people, but you are more knowledgeable about your college and what is happening around you. I met my best friends through organizations I have joined and I know there’s a great chance you will too!

8. Spend time talking to friends

I am personally not returning to campus this semester. So, I will miss the late-night hangouts with my friends in my college town.  Thank God for FaceTime! But, you can be an amazing student in the classroom and still be a good friend. Go to the movies, chill at your friend’s apartment, go grab food, go out, and have fun! But, always be safe.

9. Workout regularly

Even if just once a week! Exercise helps you ease anxiety, sleep better, and relieve the stress of everyday life. It took me a while until I got into a good workout routine because I was involved in so many things. But, make time to stay fit and healthy.

Favorite running shoes: Brooks Ghost 14 running shoes

If it is really difficult for you, you can do as I did during my freshman and sophomore years. I took a 1 credit hour course at the gym. I took a “Tone and Sculpting” class and a “workout on your own” class. Both allowed me to fit workout time into my schedule with ease. See if your school has this as an option as well!

9. Get good rest and drink plenty of water

This is arguably the most important of the tips for college students. Walking around campus to get to class requires you to stay hydrated and well-rested. While you won’t always be well-rested, you can at least make sure you’re staying ready for classes by drinking water every day! Studies have shown that water improves cognitive performance which helps us perform amazingly in college. So drink up!

My absolute favorite water bottle is the Hydrojug! I know Stanley Cups are getting all the hype. But, Hydrojugs are just as big, just as cute, and the BEST part is that they never… and I mean NEVER leak!

If you’re interested, I’ll link it below. I’ve gotten my family members one and my friends have also bought Hydrojugs. They’re that amazing!

I don’t care what some students may do with the constant all-nighters… but I NEED my rest! And everyone in my life knows that I can get grumpy if I haven’t slept or if I haven’t eaten.

Even when getting good rest, there are lulls in the day when you don’t have all the energy you’d like. By no means am I a medical professional and I highly recommend you never take any drugs especially due to peer pressure. But let’s be real, some of your peers are popping addys (Adderal)! I noticed some of my friends took Adderal to stay up and productive and I could never get on board. I do not want to get hooked on any medication that I don’t need to take.

Listen, I don’t judge… buuuut, I also want nothing to do with that. 😂

So when I feel lulls in the day even when getting good rest, sometimes I drink coffee… but that can give me the jitters every now and then. Energy drinks can sometimes work but they have a crazy amount of sugar and caffeine that is not healthy for most people.

All that to say, I recently tried Neuro Gum, which is a naturally caffeinated gum that doesn’t give me the jitters, it’s sugar-free, vegan, and tastes really freaking good! Click here to get the student discount that they offer. If that’s something you’re interested in, read about it here! You can get it OTC (over the counter at places like CVS), or online.

Another thing that I’ve started as of 2024 is using Thorne’s nootropic called Memoractiv. In this entire post I’m not telling you to try anything, I’m simply sharing my experience of using natural alternatives for energy and focus. Always research and consult a doctor to see what is right for you. Memoractiv is what I use every now and then and it always helps me stay focused.

11. Make daily to-do lists

Making a to-do list every day can significantly help you finish important tasks and stay focused on your goals. Keeping a shortlist of daily tasks always increased the chances that I would actually do them.

Shameless plug incoming…

I created a printable that is perfect for students to use every single morning before leaving for class. It’s called Morning Minutes and I’m making it free. Included is a gratitude section, a morning habits section, and a to-do list tailored to have your most important tasks. Check it out if you want a simple, affordable, daily to-do list that motivates you to have your best day, every day!

12. Find good music playlists for studying

My favorite genres are classical music and lo-fi music. I noticed early on that I CANNOT study while listening to music with lyrics (unless the volume is super low). I want to sing along or figure out what they’re saying 😂 . This always lowered my productivity significantly. Look at my post here for my favorite lo-fi videos on YouTube. And click here for my classical Spotify playlist.

(there are so many free playlists on YouTube like this one)

13. Download the Canvas app/School app

Most likely your college is using Canvas as the hub for all of your classes. I love the Canvas app because it sends notifications and is very easy to navigate. Keep up with things going on in your classes by using this app.

14. Make friends in your classes (preferably people that are good to study with)

Remember, most students are in the same situation. They don’t know anyone in their class yet, or they know one or two people from their hometown high school. Making friends in class can be so beneficial! You can exchange notes and study together (while practicing social distancing).

15. Print syllabi and read them before class

The first day is typically syllabus day (or half syllabus and getting right into the material). Either way, you may have questions on something in the syllabus that is not clear. And you want to make sure the objectives and schedule are clear at the start of the semester so nothing will surprise you.

16. Stay focused

Whether you are solely working on your school work or you’re getting involved in clubs and potentially greek life, you need to focus.

Set realistic goals and stay on top of your work.

Friends will be available to FaceTime or call after you complete your work unless you have a great group of friends that can study together (which has always been hard for me to find LOL). Try not to get discouraged and remember there is always someone that can help you out if you have a question about anything. You got this!

17. Make note of important dates (college holidays, drop class dates, and housing deadlines)

Some common dates:

Dropping

• Drop a course without any penalties or charges. (Typically the first two weeks of college but check your university’s website and it won’t show anything on your transcript)
• Drop a course with a W (withdraw) on your transcript. (Typically after the first two weeks and this will show on transcript)
• Drop a course with an F (fail) on your transcript. You do NOT want this. But if you feel like you need to drop after the previous W deadline, you can. (Typically after the W deadline and it will show on your transcript)

Housing

• Housing contract deadlines.
• Move-in dates.
• Move-out dates.

Holidays

• Know your school holidays and how long they will be.

18. Practice self-care (meditation, prayer, having “ME” time)

If you are at college, you may get homesick. If you live by family, spend time with them every once in a while. College may be stressful and overwhelming at times. And as much fun as it is to hang out with friends and go out, you need time to wind down and relax. Watch something that makes you laugh, play a game you love, read a book, work on a hobby you have.

(me, my sister, and my mom went for a walk. And… RJ who can never sit still for a picture!)

19. Don’t stress out about every little thing

I want you to know that you will be ok. Life is short. So, if you didn’t get a good grade on your test, find out why and do better next time. If your friends are toxic and bring bad energy, find a new crew. Don’t settle for just anything… and stay true to yourself. You are going to get through this, you’ve already come so far! Don’t give up!

20. Plan study time every day 

Studying a little bit every day helps the stress go away! Planning a little time for each class helps reduce procrastination significantly. When you hit Friday and you don’t have 10 assignments due, you will thank yourself for putting in the time to finish most of your work early It feels good to get your work done on time. Remember that feeling and keep it up!

Related ⇾ 15 Amazing & Realistic Study Tips You NEED To Be Using

21. You got this!!!

Don’t forget you can do this! It may get hard at times but staying on top of everything and setting goals will significantly reduce the amount of stress in your life and give you more time to do other fun things! So, take it day by day and stay focused on your goals.

 These 21 tips for college students will get you on the right to accomplish anything! For more amazing college tips, click here! 💻