Tips for success at Central Penn
Some advice from someone experiencing
college life is a wonderful tutorial
By Nikolai Hogan
Knightly News Reporter
nikolai.hogan@mymail.centralpenn.edu
Starting anything new can be a difficult challenge, and the same is true about a new life at Central Penn College.
The first term can be quite scary, with a new campus to explore, new peers and new professors, along with keeping track of assignments. The first few weeks or months may seem very hard, but the three tips that follow should help you get by with flying colors for your first term.
Tip 1: Set aside study/work time
While outside of college you may have several responsibilities, it is key to know that school should come first so that you can achieve success. You may want to set aside time either to study for assignments, work on those assignments, or to work on make-up assignments, when that is allowed.
Tip 2: Prioritize mental health
It’s understandable: college won’t be easy — and you should keep track of your mental health. Being overly stressed or anxious can bring disappointing grades and a lack of happiness. Because of this, you should put yourself first. Remember: There is a great deal of support at the college. This can come from faculty members, success-center advisers, or from the Learning Center or the Counseling Center.
Tip 3: Don’t be embarrassed to ask questions
For many people, college comes right after high school. Other people don’t begin college until much later, when they have a family to take care of and a career.
At whatever time you begin college, or if you are here with a different background from that of the majority of students with whom you attend school, you should know that college is different from high school. With college comes flexibility in scheduling and assignments but often, things can pile up and confuse a first-term student. That is why it’s okay to ask questions.
You should never feel awkward or embarrassed to ask even the simplest questions, because CPC prides itself on helping people of all backgrounds achieve success.
These three tips are essential not only for first-term students, but also to give other students a refresher on how to come into their own and how to stay motivated not only through their first term but for all terms beyond.
Comment or story idea? Contact KnightlyEditors@CentralPenn.Edu.
Edited by club co-advisers Paul Miller and Michael Lear-Olimpi.
