Some people kill it in college. First Class Honours degree, no problem at all. Brilliant for them, but makes the rest of us feel even worse about ourselves. Why are we so bad at this whole college thing? I think it's the total freedom we have that helps us to screw it up. But if you wanna start getting those grades up, maybe it's time to identify the bad habits that have been ruining your degree so far...
Procrastination
It's the killer of all college-related work. Why do we leave stuff till the very last deadline-looming second? Do we get a thrill out of starting a 4,000 word essay at midnight and crashing into college at 9am, coffee-stained and bleary-eyed? If we get a C+ with that shite, imagine what we'd get if we actually gave it the time and attention it deserves. Then again, while procrastinating during my Leaving Cert I stumbled upon this quote: "A moment enjoyed is never a moment wasted" so repeat that to yourself when you put off those three assignments to spend hours scrolling through your newsfeed.
Your Social Life
Advertisement
If only you were unpopular and had no mates. Or at least all of you were broke. Nah, you'd still manage to get drunk and stumble home at 4am. Drinking on a college night is never a good idea, yet we all do it anyway. FFS, each week night has a specific club night dedicated to it, what are we supposed to do?
TV Series'
Once you start a good one, bye bye college work. It's just not gonna happen and we know this. We know it and we say ah feck it anyway, I'll get the stuff done eventually, I always do. Yeah you do, but to what standard? Do yourself a favour and if you've finished one show, don't start another. For the sake of your degree.
Advertisement
Skipping Class
I'm a prime culprit of this. Excuses like, "attendance isn't graded in that class" or "I'm not doing my essay on that topic" etc. etc. etc. just shouldn't cut it. Every class is an opportunity to get extra info even if it's boring or the tutor is shitty. Some classes you might genuinely not be able to get to for whatever reason but if you're on the actual campus and have a class - eh, you should go to it.
Day Drinking
Advertisement
The student bar is evil. Seriously, it lures you in. Like who in their right mind puts a BAR on a college campus and then expects us to go to our solitary 50 minute class that day? It's an outrage. But if you want a half decent degree, you should probably cut back on the pints before 6pm.
Your Love Life
We finally met the man/woman of our dreams in some dingy nightclub/bar at 3am on a college night and it's happily ever after. Only then they start coming over and hanging out 24/7 or you guys go out 24/7 and those Sunday nights when you hurriedly caught up on reading are now spent with them. So your previously rushed college work is fast becoming non-existent college work. Tip: Stay single till Grad.
Advertisement
The Library
The I'm-just-going-to-the-library-to-get-some-work-done line. Who hasn't said it? 4 hours pass and all you've done is nosy around Facebook, YouTube and then read this article. Congratulations, your degree is being slowly ruined.
Advertisement
Your Friends
Choose your mates wisely in college. Go out and get hammered with the mad ones, and then have a few studious ones to pull you back when you can't remember when the last time you went to class was. Your degree will thank you for them later.
Sleep Patterns
Advertisement
Falling asleep in your morning lecture isn't ideal. And if that's a regular thing with you, or worse, sleeping in because you were up till 3am doing nothing much in particular, then you need to sort your sleep pattern out.
Housemates
Living at home can suck just as much but if you're surrounded every day by people who never seem to do any college work, then you'll find it much trickier to do some yourself. Who sits in their room while the rest of their house is playing drinking games in the living room? If your place is where the majority of after seshs are, maybe consider moving in with someone else for the time being. Or buying earplugs.
Your Major
It could be that you've picked the wrong major to study. It happens. I mean who really knows what they want to do at 17 or 18 when they choose it? If this is you, don't struggle on because that's just a waste of everyone's time at the end of the day. 3 or 4 years of slogging away and only getting mediocre results in return? No thanks. Pick something that you'll enjoy doing the work for. Or just something that you won't totally hate works too.
