Take Your Education Seriously
College is not high school. You’ve chosen to be there, for starters! This course could dictate the course of your life, so be serious about it. Many people on this planet will never have the opportunity to get a higher education. Take advantage of what you have and appreciate it.

Take Free Courses
It can be confusing and difficult to go from high school to college. Everything is different. To make the transition a little easier, try some free online courses during the summer! You’ll see how to take notes, prepare for exams, and best of all – you’ll actually learn something. It’s not always about the diploma.

Get to Know Your Instructor
The best way to stay on track and not lose sight of your goal (or hey, the best way to find your goal) is to keep up an ongoing conversation with your instructor.

Manage Your Time
If you don’t properly manage your time, you could be a statistic: one in four college students fail and never finish. Why? Because they can’t manage their time. Write down how much time you need for academics, sleeping and eating, and then plan your schedule from there. Pay attention to the schedule and you shouldn’t have any problems.

Be Prepared
Always know what you’ve got to do this week by logging into your course website and adding tasks to your schedule. Make it a point to look over your notes before each class. Keep your textbooks next to your computer, and don’t leave things to the last minute.

Take Care of You
Heavy course loads, work, partying and having fun can take their toll. Make sure to eat as healthy as you can, get as much sleep as you can, and stay fit and safe.

Study Smart
You will need to study if you want to do well in college. Create and keep a solid, unshakeable study schedule. If your course requires 20 hours a week study, schedule in 20 hours a week for studying.

Use Financial Assistance
Not only are there student loan programs, there are also grants, scholarships, bursaries and loan forgiveness programs. Check every option there is each year and get as much aid as possible.

Choose the Right Program
The wrong program can make college a terrible experience. You could end up struggling, discouraged, and with a whole waste of money. Be honest with yourself, don’t take courses just because your friends are, and try talking to a course counselor or even taking some self-assessment tests online.

Be Money-Wise
Do NOT fall prey to the lure of the credit card. You think student loans are bad? Try 15-28% interest on all that money. It just gets worse. Instead, be very conservative. Buy only what you need, and do not spend more than what you earn.

Prioritize
It will always feel like there is too much to do and not enough time to do it. To keep from feeling loony, set priorities and decide what is most important to you. Don't be afraid to cut back on some of your activities or your classes if the load is too much to handle.

Network
Make sure to make friends and acquaintances within your class! These people will be your peers and they could be lifelong business contacts or even friends.

Use the School’s Resources
The school library, the career center and the counseling office are just a few of the resources available to you. Look into chat forums for meeting other students, toll-free instructor or tech support lines, webinars and one-on-one support.

Take Fun Classes
Hey, what’s the point if you can’t enjoy yourself? Try finding a few courses or programs that are not within your discipline but still part of what interests you. It’s even better if your whole program is one that makes you happy!