Every person evolves through time and develops skills, abilities, and qualifications. College students are the ones who are ready to learn something new and improve themselves to start their adult life, being decent people. Here are a few tips on how you can work on your personal growth as a college student.
Why It Matters?
The majority of the skills that you will need throughout your life can and should be developed during your college years. There are so many things that haven’t bothered you while you were a school student but now require your attention.
You learn how to leave separately and be responsible for yourself and other people. You know that you are the one who directs your life and you are the only one who can make yourself a better person. It’s not only important for your personality but for your professional career in life too. If you feel like there are things that you should be working on now, then you should definitely start immediately. You will thank yourself later for the chance that you have given yourself to boost your skills and grow as a person and as a specialist.
Here are the spheres and skills that you might want to develop as a college student and some tips on how to do it.
Learn New Languages or Skills
Knowing a few languages is a benefit that can come in handy while traveling or applying for a job. It also helps you boost your brain activity and become more confident. That’s why many people treat learning new languages as a hobby – it’s fun, it’s interesting, it’s useful, it can provide you with more opportunities.
There are languages schools, programs, distance learning clubs, online classes, etc. Some people prefer to study on their own – there are many sources that can provide you with needed literature, writing exercises, dictionaries, etc. You can find what suits your needs and your daily schedule.
Learning a new skill is also a great idea. It doesn’t matter what you choose – learning how to play guitar or bake cakes. The essence of learning something new is already another plus for your personal growth. It’s like investing in yourself – better than buying new clothes.
Getting Help and Helping Others
Not every student thinks about their mental health while they are still in college. The timing seems a little off and there are so many things that you should do. However, going to therapy is actually a great idea if you want to work on your self-development. Psychology is a deep science and requires a lot of time in order to bring significant results. It’s better to start working with a therapist while you are in college due to several reasons:
- You can better understand yourself and things that bring you comfort and joy. It might also be the time when you can really understand what you want from life.
- You can make it easier to cope with stress caused by exams, studies, and pressure.
- You can get yourself prepared for a professional career, relationships, etc.
- You can detect issues that are easier to correct while you are young.
- You can learn a lot of important things about your personality and how to cope with things that stress you out.
When working with a specialist, it’s crucial to understand that you are doing it for yourself and for your future. It’s the time now when people are not embarrassed to admit they go to therapy because everybody knows how important that is, especially during the stressful years of college.
Helping others is another method of developing yourself as a person. It teaches us how to be grateful for what we have and how to contribute to society. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you should be involved in charity or something like that – you can choose the way you help others. Search for clubs and associations, groups, funds, and unions that you can be a part of. Or simply help your older neighbor to buy groceries. Small deeds are also important.
Time-Management Skills and Productivity
One of the most important resources nowadays is time. That’s why being a person who values their time as much as others’ is crucial. There are a lot of people who don’t achieve their goals because they can’t put themselves together and manage their time and plans according to what they believe can help them. You don’t want to be that person, right?
That’s why it’s important to improve your time-management skills as early in your life as you can. Starting in college is a good step towards your goal. But how can you improve this important skill?
- Learn how to plan your day and how to stick to your schedule.
- Avoid procrastination and learn how to beat it once you notice yourself putting something for the last moment.
- Create a routine. Especially the sleep one. Getting up in the morning and going to bed in the evening at a consistent time every day is what you should strive to do. The majority of people feel that their productivity throughout the day and their day plan significantly depends on the way they treat their sleep hygiene.
- Try to complete your tasks on time. Don’t wait until the last moment and don’t rely on a chance that the deadline will be prolonged.
- Find your “golden hours.” This is the time period throughout the day when you feel energized and productive the most. Use this knowledge to beat the hardest daily tasks that require more focus and effort.
- Observe your daily rhythm and the way you react while you are stressed. Knowing yourself is the key to understanding if your plans and schedules are bearable. Don’t try to overcome yourself while putting more and more tasks on your shoulders – this is just the way to be disappointed in yourself.
- Be inspired by someone’s productivity but learn how to adapt common practices and methods to suit YOU.
Modern society is constantly talking about productivity and it might be a little stressful. It makes us feel obligated and less valuable if we don’t do as many things daily as some blogger or other media figure. However, only you can decide how to balance your personal time and your career/studying/hobbies, etc. Do what makes you happy.
Karen Palmer
