by Keegan Malan 

You’re in college now. It’s a whole different ballgame from high school. Here you are your own person, completely responsible for your academic well-being. You don’t have your parents alongside you. You live under your own roof and have to do everything for yourself. At first, you might feel like you won’t survive. But you can and will, especially with these simple tips. 

Study Hard

It’s an obvious one, but one you cannot do without. If you don’t study, you will likely fail, and if you fail, what was the point in coming to PUC in the first place? You want to find a nice, quiet place and drill the information into you till you know it by heart, and it becomes second nature. You can study in many places on campus, alone or with a group, if that is your preference.

Sleep Well

Don’t stay up till the crack of dawn if you don’t have to. If you don’t sleep, you can’t function as well as you need to, and your mind is prone to wander during classes when you should be paying attention. You need to refresh your mind and body, and not sacrifice them for the sake of staying up a few extra hours.

Pray

It’s both a comfort and a help. Having a relationship with God is key, and talking to Him, and asking for His help, and giving thanks are refreshing and encouraging. We need to talk to him daily, multiple times a day. Give a quick prayer before class, before studying, before a test, before a meal. Make it something you just do, and it will greatly benefit you both academically and in your daily life.

Make Friends

Life’s no fun going alone. You need to talk to people. You need people who have your back, whom you can rely on, and for whom you can be the same. You need to have people you can joke with and goof off with. You need friends. We all need friends, and you have a great opportunity to make them here. You live side by side with them, eat breakfast with them, and take class with them. Don’t just stand on the sidelines; introduce yourself. When you make friends, your life becomes easier. A weight is taken off your shoulders, and you can go farther and faster than you would have thought. 

Have Fun

Life isn’t all about work. You need to relax and have fun. It’s refreshing and energizing, and makes you happy. There’s the beautiful Napa Valley for you to explore, as well as the Bay Area, and you ought to see it all. Make it a point to do something once a week or once every other week, either with friends or by yourself. Have a good time and enjoy your youth; when you come back for another week of school, you will be better for it.

When all of these things come together, you’ll find that life at PUC is quite fun, and it’ll become an experience you will never forget; and getting through school will not be the rough road you thought it was.