by Linda R. Borden, MSW, M.Ed.,
Independent Educational Consultant, Executive Function & Student Success Coach
The jump from high school to college is an important shift in how students learn, live, and advocate for themselves. College is a time of personal, academic and social growth, as well as self-discovery. The challenges along the way are many: meeting people, finding resources, navigating through academic and social choices, selecting from the extracurricular options, and rising to the responsibilities and expectations that accompany being a new member of the campus community. The road to success is paved by students’ ability to develop habits and plans that will help them feel in control of these challenges.
As an Independent Educational Consultant and Executive Function & Student Success Coach, I work with students as they transition through high school into college and navigate new academic and social expectations. We work toward building skills in self-advocacy, self-confidence, social confidence, time management, executive function, goal setting, and management of academic schedules. This article provides some practical strategies I have found most helpful in enabling students to proactively plan and take charge of their college journey and start their first semester with confidence.
Getting Settled
The first few days of college include icebreakers, orientations, unpacking, and getting to know your way around. You are managing dorm life, dining hall schedules, new routines, a new social world, and an academic schedule that may include hours of unstructured time. You are expected to build skills in independence and also be part of a new community. Planning and managing your time become critical to be able to balance multiple responsibilities. This is especially true for student-athletes and those juggling part-time work and full course loads. If you decide you would like to join a chorus, practice an instrument, or join a student-run club, you are adding multiple commitments and hours to your schedule. Once the initial excitement settles, it is time to create a reliable plan for managing your time and responsibilities. A proactive approach will help you stay on track, especially as the semester gets busier.
Understanding Academic Expectations
College requires a higher level of organization, communication, and accountability than high school, and your college courses will need a more self-directed approach to meet expectations.
Academic Independence
You are expected to be fully responsible for your approach to getting work done. Professors expect you to manage your own time and responsibilities. They will not check in about how you are progressing toward deadlines.
Review the Syllabus
Checking your syllabus at the start of the semester is a game-changer. Each course syllabus is your roadmap. It will often include due dates, penalties for late assignments, how your grade is calculated, rubrics for papers, classroom expectations, and contact information for the professor and the teaching assistant.
Self-Advocacy
Your ability to advocate for yourself, ask questions, and make use of campus resources are key to managing workload. Do not wait until you are overwhelmed to ask for help. Falling behind can make the rest of the semester a steep climb. If you are used to extra help or specific accommodations in high school, college systems work differently. Reach out early to your advisor and the campus accessibility office so you are set up well from the start. Often, you will be responsible for alerting your professors of the approved accommodations that you need to manage the course work.
Know Your Academic Tools
Start early to understand your learning platform (Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, etc.). Some are complicated to master, with features that are not always obvious to find. You are submitting most, if not all, of your work through the learning platform and receiving updates, feedback, and grades from your professor through the same platform. Most platforms have calendar and notification options you can set to remind you of due dates.
Read Your Emails
Campus information and activities, social events, and dorm information are often emailed, along with reminders for registration, drop/add dates and housing information. Professors, advisors, and school administration departments will often email important updates, including schedule changes. Make a daily habit of checking your email.
Use Office Hours
Professors and teaching assistants offer office hours — use them early and often! They are there to support your learning. This is the best way to get clarity on assignments and feedback after turning in papers. It is also a great opportunity to connect with your professors.
Access Campus Resources
Tutoring centers, writing labs, and counseling services can be invaluable. Making use of these resources before you are behind will help prepare you for midterms and exams and alleviate stress.
Developing Your Plan and Managing Your Time
Time management is an important part of developing a plan and finding balance in your first semester, especially for students with learning or executive function challenges. College schedules include a lot of unstructured time, so it is easy to get distracted and fall behind without a plan. Planning includes setting reasonable and attainable goals, initiating tasks, prioritizing, working through distractions, communicating, and managing your energy and time. This does not mean creating a rigid schedule. Instead, aim for a flexible plan that gives you structure but also allows for room to explore, rest, and adapt. Whether you are balancing a full course load, athletics, part-time work or campus involvement, having a plan gives you agency over your time and helps you avoid last-minute scrambles and all-nighters.
Make a Semester Calendar
Review the syllabi for each class and create a list of due dates for your semester. Enter all the assignments, tests/quizzes, papers, and exams. This gives you a visual of your busiest weeks that might have multiple projects and assignments due, and it helps you plan ahead.
Find a system that works for you — a planner, calendar app, spreadsheet, or wall chart — whatever you will actually stick with. Try blocking out your week with dedicated time for classes, studying, meals, rest, and social time. You do not have to follow it perfectly. Think of it as a flexible guide that gives your week some structure.
Stay Flexible
The idea is to have time for study, rest, meals, exercise, and social activities. Be prepared to shift your plan as unexpected things come up. The goal is to create balance in your schedule.
Building Study Skills
A common struggle is task initiation — not being able to start your work or not knowing how to break big assignments into manageable steps. If you are working on a term-paper assignment, the goal is the paper due for class, and the tasks are the steps involved in getting it done. Focus on what is due, when it is due, when you will work on it, and how you can break the assignment into smaller tasks to figure out the time you need to complete it.
Eliminate Distractions
When it is time to study, gather only what you need for that assignment. Pick a space with fewer distractions to help you focus, whether it is the library, a study lounge, or a quiet café. Mute your phone and try time-blocking techniques like Pomodoro (25 minutes of focus, 5-minute break).
Prioritize
This involves setting clear priorities based on what assignments are due and how much time will be needed for each of them.
Define the Assignment Goal
What is the “ask”? Take the time to understand what the assignment is specifically asking you to do. Are you clear on what your end product is? Is there a rubric provided you can follow? Do you need to email the professor for clarity?
Organize Your Study Materials
Gather only the material you will need for the test/paper, etc., you plan to work on at that time. Do you need class notes, slides, textbooks, or websites? Review the class syllabus for specifics on tests, quizzes, exams or if there is a folder provided of useful study resources.
Take a Break
Set a limit on your study session. Start with one or two hours maximum, and then take a break. This gives you a chance to regroup and reenergize. Walk around, grab a snack, listen to music—whatever helps you reset.
Review and Adjust
After your break, review what you have done. What worked in that timeframe and what did not? What adjustments can you make? How much time do you need to finish the assignment? What additional resources do you need to utilize such as the Writing Center, or re-reading the assignment expectations to make sure you are on the right track.
Self-Care and Wellness
This is important! The first few weeks will be busy with late nights, meeting a lot of new people and making decisions on classes and activities. If you are playing a sport, an instrument, engaging in community service, have an on-campus job or joined a club, there will be additional requirements to balance. When self-care is prioritized, it can assist in reducing the stress of change. Your focus on establishing wellness habits will increase your ability to have the energy to respond when challenges are more prevalent than successes. There are many sleep, nutrition, and mindfulness apps that can assist you in developing and maintaining reliable habits.
• Sleep: Sleep may seem like it is negotiable, but it’s important to focus on not letting sleep be the last thing you consider in your wellness planning. It is tempting to stay up late every night, but getting decent rest is key to keeping your energy up. Pick a reasonable time to set a nightly phone alarm to remind yourself to wind down, and stop looking at your screen and get quality rest.
• Nutrition: Good habits with nutrition are also hard to prioritize. Aim for balance. Plan a few go-to healthy meals or snacks weekly. Eating well does not have to mean perfect meals. Have a few healthy snacks or quick meal ideas so you are not always defaulting to pizza or instant noodles. Try to get moving—go for a walk, hit the gym, or just stretch in your room. Some form of physical activity can make a huge difference in how you feel.
• Mindfulness and Exercise: Find some time for yourself. If you have ways that work for you in managing change or stress, set aside time to focus on them. If you know a morning workout or journaling are great stress relievers, make sure you plan time to get that done. Find some helpful options, such as mindfulness apps, walks, stretching, listening to music or doing something creative, or check in with family and friends.
Residential Life/Social Life
Adjusting to life in a dorm and building a new social circle can be exciting—and sometimes awkward. If you are having trouble with roommates or navigating shared spaces, your Residential Advisor (RA) is there to help facilitate conversations, address issues, and connect you with campus support. Everyone is adjusting just like you are.
The first-year experience is designed to help you find your place on campus. It is a process and does not have to happen all at once. You have time over the next four years to take part in many of the offerings. Do not overcommit in your first semester.
College offers countless opportunities to connect — clubs, dorm events, sports, student government, community service, outdoor adventure clubs and more. Seek out communities that match your interests.
Apps to Explore
Whether it is organizing your tasks, managing your time, or finding a moment of calm, there is an app for that. Here are some student favorites:
Productivity & Task Management Apps
• POMOFOCUS: A Pomodoro timer for focused study sessions.
• POMODONE: Pomodoro + task management combined.
• MYHOMEWORK: A digital planner for assignments.
• TODOIST: Great for organizing tasks and projects.
• MYLIFEORGANIZED: For advanced task management.
• MICROSOFT TO-DO: To organize your to-do list and break down tasks.
Note-Taking, Studying & Planning
• QUIZLET: Make flash cards, study guides and tests you on material.
• GOODNOTES: Ideal for digital note-taking and planning.
• DIGITAL PLANNERS: Million Dollar Habit helps you customize your planner.
• GLEAN: Great for lecture capture, organizing notes and audio note-taking.
• PLANNERS: Etsy planners come in vaious formats depending on your needs.
Wellness & Focus
• CALM: Mindfulness and meditation for stress relief.
• HEADSPACE: Evidence-based meditation and mindfulness tools, sleep resources, mental health coaching.
• FOCUSKEEPER: Timer for productivity.
Time Management and Organizational Supports
• BASICXL FLYING ALARM: For those who need help getting out of bed.
• TIIMO: Your go-to planning toolkit for better time management and focus.
• ISTUDIEZ PRO: Schedule Management allows users to create and manage their class schedule, including class details, locations, instructors, and holidays.
Final Thoughts—Before You Go…
You do not need to have everything figured out right away. College is a time to explore, make some mistakes, and grow. Set small goals, stay curious, and ask for help when you need it.
DO NOT OVERCOMMIT YOUR TIME: Try to pace yourself. You have four years to explore options. Pace yourself socially. If you do not feel like going to a social event, then take time for yourself because there will be plenty of other opportunities. Do not feel pressured to join every club or go to every event. Start slowly, and give yourself time to explore.
AIM FOR BALANCE: Establishing a plan with a few familiar and reliable routines will take some of the stress out of being in an unfamiliar place.
ASK FOR SUPPORT: If you are feeling overwhelmed, reach out to your advisor, professor, or on-campus counselor before stress escalates. There are campus resources for managing stress, time management, academic help and ways to be connected to activities you are passionate about. Remember that every freshman is new to campus and is also adapting to the environment.
I hope a few of these strategies will help you to navigate, and thrive in, your exciting first year of college.
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