Your high school teachers probably told you more than once that they are trying to help prepare you for college. But you may not have realized that they are trying to prepare you for more than just college-level academics. The life skills you learn through your experiences before you enter college will be more important to your success than your SAT score.
Classroom Skills
Many basic life skills are needed to get through the rigors of multiple classes and professors who assign projects and exams that all seem to be due the same week. The most important is self-motivation. Without it, you will never make it through college. In high school, your teachers had time to encourage you and help you along because their job was to help you succeed. Professors are going to give their valuable time to those who are willing to do the work and want to succeed.
Organization skills will make college success far more likely. If you stay organized, you will know when your papers and projects are due and you will be able to keep track of your notes and books. Decision-making and time management skills also will be necessary to get through multiple classes. On those occasions when you find that you have a huge project and a major exam on the same day, you will need to prioritize and manage your time to get both done, giving more time to the more important task.
People Skills
Friendships developed in college are friendships for life, and your campus social life will be almost as important as your studies. But developing lifelong friendships and connections involves many important life skills. You must have communication skills and the ability to actively listen. You need assertiveness and an ability to speak up for yourself when you have been wronged. Empathy for others is necessary to gain trust.
The ability to work as part of a team is another important skill you will need in college. Whether you are working on a group project, rearranging furniture in a dorm or planning a weekend social event, you will often be working with people with different ideas, thoughts and feelings. You will need to be able to work with people you do not necessarily like, and you also will need to have skills in negotiation and delegation to make sure the job gets done.
General College Life Skills
Perseverance, persistence and responsibility will take you a long way in college. The most successful college students are not necessarily those who have the highest IQ, but those who work the hardest, refuse to quit when things get rough, and admit when they are wrong and work hard to make things right again.
Finally, flexibility makes every part of the college experience better. Be open to changes of all kinds. Be ready for last-minute changes to the exam schedule, a surprise final paper from the professor you loathe and a roommate who stays up later than you do. Do not shy away from experiences outside your comfort zone, but take them as an opportunity to learn something new or do something you never thought possible.
