8 Things You Learn During Your Worst Semester Of College

1. If you fall behind, be prepared to work your ass off to catch up.

If you don’t, you won’t turn in that 2 page paper or submit your event website or study for your economics final, and you will be KICKING yourself.

2. Do not spend every night at your new boyfriend’s apartment.

You’ll wake up in the morning at 9am fully prepared to bust out another day of the school grind and end up talking through your 11 o’clock, 2 o’clock, AND 6 o’clock classes. But – who cares, you’re working on your MRS degree anyway, right?! (Wrong.)

3. Please don’t make the mistake of ignoring your friends.

Nobody likes when their bestie suddenly falls off the face of the earth. Grab dinner or drinks with your girls and make time for them. They’ll be there for you with a pint gallon of cookie dough ice cream when you realize you bombed this entire semester.

4. Respond to emails/text messages/phone calls.

Do it. If you don’t, you will have missed the opportunity to work at that local coffee shop you applied to four score and three weeks ago, or go to the hockey game where your friend from back east will be a starting player.

5. Talk to your professors. 

If you’re having a rough time, let them know.  They ARE willing to help (seriously, it’s strange, they LOVE when you come to their office). Don’t be intimidated because you forgot there was a quiz this week and you don’t want them to know you’re a lazy bum. (Okay, you aren’t a bum, you just got caught up in the third season of Gossip Girl on Netflix – whatever).

6. Always show up to work on time.

Never slack. Your boss is going to be your personal reference and you NEED him/her to like you. Your future career could depend on it. 

7. If and when you decide that it is time to declare a new major – meet face to face with your advisor. 

Ask them what you need to do in order to graduate as on time as possible and what opportunities there are out there for people like you (people that wait until “junior” class standing to decide they actually want to plan events for a living instead of sitting in a cubicle their whole life through).

8. Above all else, don’t sweat the small stuff.

Call your mother. She’ll make you feel better. She may be angry or annoyed at your behavior and disappointed that your grades have hit an all time low, but she’s been in your shoes.  She loves you, and she will love you no matter what happens, so listen to her.  And in case you can’t do that, this is what she’ll say: everything is going to be okay. This is one semester of your life, one season of your time on earth, and you have learned a very important lesson. Keep on keeping on and remember you are loved & you CAN do anything. That’s the most important thing.