Conquering College

Going off to college is a momentous occasion for a lot of people across the world. It can be something really exciting—first time on your own, a fresh start to be who you want to be, and learning about topics that you're passionate about. 

It can also be terrifying. Maybe you don't know anyone going to your school. Or you're moving states. Maybe you have absolutely no idea what to major in or what you want to do with your life. You might be afraid that you won't make friends or that you won't have this transformational experience you've heard all about. 

These are all valid fears that so many people experience when taking that big leap. It's okay to be nervous about such a huge change in your life. Have no fear, we put together some tips for starting at a new school. Each tip has a CONQUERing design that represents, and can serve as a reminder, for what you need to conquer college. 

Embracing a New Chapter

The first tip is to embrace college as a new chapter of your life. You'll be experiencing something that you've never experienced before. That can be scary since you don't really have a point of reference for what to expect. Instead of fearing the unknown, embrace college as an opportunity to try new things and really figure out who you are. 

When you're beginning to embrace this new chapter, it can be helpful to talk to someone that you trust about their experience with going to college. This could be a parent, an older sibling, or even a former classmate. Ask them questions about the fears you have, and see what fears they had before they started. When you are talking with someone about their experience, remember that your experience will be unique and it's not guaranteed that you'll encounter everything they did. 

We have the perfect design to help you start this new chapter of your life. Our Moonstone Crystal Spinner is associated with happiness, abundance, good fortune, and new beginnings. It is believed that by wearing this crystal, you will be able to accept new beginnings easier and will find it easier to seek out happiness and good fortune.  

Stay True to Yourself

Yes, that's sounds cheesy. We're sure that someone has already told you to be yourself and surround yourself with people that don't make you change who you are. In fact, that's probably something you've heard your entire life. 

It's true! It's important not to compromise who you are to try and fit in with a group. You're going to meet a lot of new people when you get to school. People who are also trying to figure out who they are and navigate this new experience. It can be easy to think that you need to act or dress a certain way to make friends. You don't need to do that in college. There's going to be a group for everyone—you will find people with similar interests, similar mindsets, and people that love you because of your quirks. 

To remember to stay true to who you are, check out our BE YOU Spinner. When you wear this design, you will remember that you don't need to change a thing about yourself. You can also help others realize that they don't need to hange whot hey are when you wear this design. 

Be Confident in Class

You will likely feel nervous about your first week of classes. You probably don't know what to expect—how will these classes be different from the classes you took in high school? How do you know where to sit? Why do you even have to take that science class if you're interested in the arts? 

Those are totally normal questions to have as you take on your first week, and first semester, of classes. The best advice we have about tackling classes is to go into them feeling confident. There's not a single professor that's going to expect you to know everything on day one. They are well-versed on teaching first year students and know that it can be a tricky transition. Pay attention, participate in class, attend office hours, and try to keep an open mind about what you're learning. You never know what you'll end up finding interesting. 

When you need a little extra boost of optimism about class, wear our YOU GOT THIS Spinner. It can feel very daunting but you are fully capable of tackling classes. Tell yourself that "you got this" before going to your first class to give you the confidence boost you might need. 

Try Something New

There is a lot to try when you get to school. There are clubs, sports, new food, hobbies, and so many other things to try that you might not know where to start. You also might not feel confident about joining something. Whatever the case is, trying something new is an important part of going to college. 

Most colleges have club fairs at the beginning of the year where every club on campus has a table and will talk to you about what they do. There are professional development clubs, special interest clubs, sororities & fraternities, service clubs, recreational sports, and so much more that you can explore. All it takes is attending a meeting to see if you get along well with the people and are interested in what you will be doing. You can join one or multiple clubs—just remember to not overcommit, you do still have classes to focus on!

It can be scary to attend a club meeting where you don't know anyone or you aren't sure if you'll be interested in what they do. Wear our BRAVE Spinner when you're feeling timid about trying something new. Putting yourself out there can be scary but when you do, you'll meet life-long friends, discover a myriad of possibilities, and uncover your passions. 

Manage Your Homesickness

A very real part of going off to school, even if you're going somewhere close, is dealing with homesickness. This is likely the first time you've truly been away from your family and friends. It's completely natural to miss those people who you spent the first part of your life with. Wanting to go home isn't a sign of weakness or that you chose the wrong school—it's a natural part of the experience.

When you feel homesick, it might be a good idea to talk to someone about it. Chances are, the people you meet at school are also feeling a bit homesick. You could talk to your roommate about what their hometown is like. You could share fond memories you have about your home friends with the new friends you make at school. You can make it a regular occurrence to talk with your family on the phone to catch up and see how they're doing. Acknowledging it and talking about it will help make the homesickness go away. 

When moving into adult life, you're not always going to be able to contact your family and friends every single day. Wearing our LOVED Spinner can be the reminder you need that there are people that care for you out there. It's kind of like wearing a hug on your finger! There are people that love you and want to see you succeed. 

Finding Motivation

Another part of being independent for one of the first times is finding the motivation to complete assignments and study for exams. When you lived at home, you might have had a parent that was asking you if you did your homework. Your high school teachers probably gave you frequent reminders about when assignments were due. College is going to be a bit different—your professors will expect you to handle what they assign you on your own. It's important to figure out how to stay motivated to stay on top of due dates and to study properly for exams. 

There are a lot of things to do at school. You might be tempted to go out with your friends over writing a paper on Classic Literature. You might prefer to binge a new show than study for your calc midterm. The thing about college is you now have the full autonomy to do those things. It's up to you to set boundaries and set aside the proper time to do what needs to be done for your classes. 

When you have those moments where you want to stray away from studying, wear our FOCUS Spinner to remind yourself to get back on track. Keeping a planner that has all of your assignments and when they are due can hep you get a better picture of what you have time for socially. Write down the dates of important exams so you don't end up cramming the night before. 

Deciding a Major

A lot of schools won't require you to declare your major until some point during your Sophomore year. That can be a lot of pressure when you might not know what you want to pursue as a career. Maybe you chose something when applying that you're no longer interested in. Whatever your situation is, it's okay not to know what you want to do with your life. In fact, it's kind of silly to think that an 18-year-old knows what they want to send the next 60+ years of their life doing. 

The good news is that there are plenty of resources you can turn to when determining what you might want to major in. The first is your advisor. You are going to be assigned an advisor when you start school whose job it is to help you figure out what classes to take, talk through what you might want to major in, and should help you figure out potential career paths. There are also likely career counselors at your school taht you can make an appointment with to talk about what classes have interested you and what path you might be thinking of taking. If you start taking classes in your major and realize you don't like them, you can always switch your major! If you have interested in more than one area, you could double-major or pursue a minor. There are so many options that you will find something you like before you graduate. 

When you're struggling to think about what your life path is, wear our Compass Symbol Spinner to help you start figuring out what to do with your life. It can be an extra reminder to shadow a class in a certain subject matter or make an appointment with a career counselor to feel confident in what you will major in. 

Make the Most of your Experience

A lot of people are going to tell you that your college experience will fly by. It can be hard to imagine that when you're just starting out when you're adjusting to such a new way of life. Trust us, it will go by way faster than you think it will. You don't want to look back when you're graduating and have regrets about things you didn't say yes to. 

College is such a unique time in your life where you have new independence but few real responsibilities. Take advantage of the time where you live a short-walk away from your best friends. Take the extra time you have to develop new hobbies or go on exciting trips that your school sponsors. Study abroad and learn about different cultures. Say yes to late-night food runs and hanging out with friends. Of course, make sure you're still carving out time to study and do what you need to do for class. 

When you need a reminder to fully experience college, wear our No Regrets Spinner. You're going to enter your adult life post-grad likely living apart from the people you were constantly around during your time in college. You don't want to have a bunch of regrets when you graduate. 

Conquer College!

Now that you have a few tips for starting college it's time to go and conquer it. This is such an exciting new chapter in your life and you're going to make so many fond memories. 

Remember that you got this! We are wishing you the best of luck.