8. There are all sorts of clubs at college, take the pamphlet and read up on the options and join a couple! You’ll get to meet people and have a fun break from school every once in a while.

9. Volunteering is extremely beneficial to you and all those involved; you help others and organizations that need the support and you also get to put that volunteer work on your resumé—this is very attractive to employers.

10. Take any opportunities that come your way, even if you think it ’ s not your forte.

Opportunities are everywhere in college and they can set you apart from the group, especially leadership role opportunities—these are great for resumés and learning leadership skills.

11. Choose one thing that resides outside your comfort zone and make a deliberate effort to achieve it.

12. Find out if your teachers have ever published a book, if they have then make sure you read it and then next time you walk into class, comment on the read about a part you genuinely enjoyed or found intriguing.

13. Teachers in college don’t hold your hand. They tell you what chapters to read from the textbook but the majority of classes don’t have assigned homework.

Make sure you read the review at the end of each chapter and assign yourself homework questions on each chapter—you didn’t do them for four years of high school for no reason.

14. Make use of the plentiful resources on campus, if you can’t find any there is always the library which helps with many academic aspects such as aiding you in properly citing sources in your paper.

15. Take the time every day to do the things you love, you can’t allow school to completely engulf you because then you’ll feel like you’re drowning and you’ll start to resent it. Set aside 30 minutes or an hour to read, write, play guitar, sing, cook, knit, play a sport, master chess, etc.

16. Consciously make an effort to eat healthy each day, this will increase your energy levels, allow you to focus more, keep you less stressed, and get all the other benefits related to school that come out of eating healthy. Knowing how to be healthy while in college is undoubtedly important.

17. Along with eating healthy you should exercise daily to keep your stress levels down and regulate your overall health. For more ways to stay healthy in college, visit The Ultimate College Health Guide.

18. Getting enough sleep in college is so much more important than most students realize or identify. Go here for a complete guide.

19. Learn an abundance of stress-management techniques, understanding your way around stress management in college is unbelievably important.

20. Organization is an essential part of college, without organization you’ll sacrifice a massive amount of your productivity and ultimately leave yourself more stressed than necessary.

21. Set goals for yourself—both short-term goals and long-term—so that you have direction and purpose as you move through college or university. Ensure that you know how to set goals effectively so that this process works best for you.

22. Along with setting goals for yourself, make sure you write your goals down—along with other motivating content—and put it up on your wall to be in front of you every day to read.

23. Be conscious of your spending habits and make an effort to save as much money as you can so your financial status stays healthy. You want to avoid debt in college and graduate debt-free!

24. This last one is the most important in the list without argument and it is this — take the path less traveled by.

Robert Frost is an amazing poet and to live by his words of walking the path less traveled by is the smartest, boldest, and greatest decision you’ll make in your whole life.

Notice what the crowd seems to be doing regularly and do the opposite; are most people facing their fears or cowering away? Are they stretching themselves or staying the same person for years at a time? Are they venturing outside their comfort zone or staying inside where it’s safe? Are they striving to be successful and believe in themselves beyond comparison, or do they accept the circumstances they are given?