Student life done better: How to avoid the pitfalls

Being a student is one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. But it also comes with some dangers. Getting through university in one piece isn’t the most straightforward task in the world. In fact, a large chunk of students wind up dropping out because it is such an arduous experience. Below, let’s look at how to avoid the academic pitfalls that are all too common.

Pitfall #1: Burnout

Burnout is a significant risk at a job and at university. When you are enrolled in school, you might go out after class ends and party with friends or work a part-time job instead.

There’s a lot to balance in an active student life, including fitting in study time. It’s a busy mix and not likely something you’ll experience at any other point in life.

Burnout, therefore, is a real risk. You’re often burning the candle at both ends, trying to meet all your obligations, and you might feel like you’re always falling short.

The problem of burnout is a real issue. It can make you cynical about your work and lead to procrastination. The best way to deal with it is to enforce strict weeknight bedtimes.

Make sure you’re in the sack by 11 pm and sleep through until 7 am. If everyone in your place is still awake and making noise, then use earplugs to shut out the noise.

Student life pitfall #2: Being the victim of a campus scam

Many students leave high school and go straight to university. It is a halfway house between childhood and the adult world. You have to look after yourself, but you also have a massive support network ready to jump into action if you get into trouble.

Many students, however, become victims to scams during their time on campus. It can be anything, really, but the main thing in common is that you take someone at their word when they’re being untruthful or don’t realize what’s happening until it’s too late.

You can avoid college student scams, but only if you keep your wits about you. Joining an anti-scam network can provide you with up-to-date information on the latest criminal tactics to help prevent your being a part of them.

Pitfall #3: Leaving homework until the last minute

Student life can be a lot of fun. All of a sudden, you seem to have endless opportunities. You can live your life how you want without your parents watching you all the time.

Homework, therefore, can take a backseat for some people. They put it off until the last minute, and then find themselves cramming to get everything done. Often, they rush end-of-semester coursework and get low marks as they didn’t take the time to do thorough research or proofread the paper.

Creating a homework schedule and imposing deadlines on yourself is tough, but it’s also necessary. The more you can get into the habit of doing assignments and studying regularly, the easier student life will be for you.

Most colleges don’t actually demand that you do all that much work outside of the class time. Of course, you get out of it what you put into it; if you study more and put more time into the assigned projects, then you will likely get better grades than if you only put in minimal effort. It’s best not to fall behind so put in a good amount of time, if possible.

A related tip on student life and studying

In addition, focus on using your time well. For example, spend the afternoon after a lecture coming to grips with the subject, figuring everything out while the instructors words are still fresh in your mind. Do that, and you’ll be ahead of many of your colleagues.