Being married to a full-time college student is tough.
Freedom from college-related worries doesn’t abate. As my husband’s number-one
priority, I have more influence than I’m comfortable with in how his studies
fluctuate over the course of the semester, and I want to be as much of an
encouragement as I can. There are a few tricks and habits I learned during my
own college career as well as these past few months that served me well during
my dorm-room days.
1. Plan out your entire semester—with a lot of wiggle room—the first week of school.
Syllabuses are excellent for this! Some
professors are less organized than others, but for the classes that provided a
syllabus, I took them and compiled them into one color-coded calendar. Whatever
way works best for you, having your major assignments, tests, and projects
mapped out in a single place saves time and energy later in the semester that
you’d rather spend elsewhere!
2. When in doubt—study more!
This is a mistake I made
early on in college, but my husband has mastered. When I wasn’t certain of the difficulty
of tests, I would blow off study time. Don’t make this mistake! Botching the
first test can oftentimes mean the difference in a letter grade. Going in to
discover the test is easier than anticipated is always better at the start of
the semester. You can adjust your study time to the difficulty on test number
two!
3. Make time for friends.
College friends you will
oftentimes keep for life. Invest in people. Don’t let the opportunities slip by
that you could do something for someone else. The hardest part for me as an
introvert was always getting started. Introduce yourself to your classmates. Talk
to people when you’re standing in line for cafeteria food. When you get to know
each other, take a step forward: Organize study groups, coordinate mealtimes to
eat together, go to social events and play games. Do community service together.
Trust me, the lessons you learn and the people you get to know will be well
worth the trouble.
4. Don’t forget that you are there to learn.
Take classes
that you will really enjoy and be engaged in the subject. Look for experiences
and opportunities that will bolster your resume and be really fun. After college, your social activities are not
enough to get you a job in your field. Look for ways to improve your soft
skills, like interpersonal and leadership skills, in addition with the skills
needed for your major and your career goals.
5. Most importantly, college is a time of self-discovery, not only for your future jobs, but also for your faith.
Through
my college years, God taught me how to trust him, how to be patient, and how to
have courage even when I am afraid. Although I am still far from perfect, I am
taking these lessons through the rest of my life. I am grateful that I have a
Savior who enables me to be better than I would be otherwise, and who loved me
so much that he took the penalty for my sin. He is my motivation to be positive
and always seek to love others. Draw closer to Jesus during this time of your
life. You won’t regret it.