10 keys to college success
//tips to help you keep your body, mind, spirit and bank account healthy

1. God. Without God … well … all you theology majors would have pretty easy exams. For the rest of us, everything would be worthless. Remember to make time for Him above everything else by reading the Bible, hanging with other Christians and spending time alone just to listen to Him.

2. Technology. Computers are expensive. So skip the cost and go to the on-campus computer lab, or ask your roommate if you can borrow his or her computer for a certain fee per hour. If your roommate won't go for the idea and the labs are too busy, buy used.

3. Healthy habits. Sleep, exercise and good food are requirements. Join an intramural team, or toss a Frisbee instead of drinking yet another cup of coffee at the student center. And for the love of all things, pick up an apple every once in a while. Man cannot survive on Taco Bell alone.

4. Ingenuity. If you didn't learn the concept of sharing in kindergarten, then you'll have something else to learn in college. Many times, books in your introductory classes are rarely used, so go in on the cost with a couple of friends.

5. Proactive solutions. One school has an area of concentration for English majors now that it didn't have before a friend walked into the English department one afternoon. Amazing things can happen when you go to the right people and suggest improvements with the right attitude.

6. Connections. Find friends besides just your roommate—people who share your values. Also try to meet people with different opinions and those who are in your future field, such as professors.

7. Practical experience. Look for campus jobs that will give you experience for your future career. College towns are often filled with minimum wage, food-service jobs, so if you want an off-campus job related to your field of interest, you might have to commute. But having that experience on your résumé will make the travel more than worth it.

8. Organization. Sticky notes and lipstick messages on the mirror are fine to remind yourself to buy toilet paper and shampoo, but use planners and PDAs to help keep you organized and aware of appointments and deadlines.

9. R & R. Make sure you block out time for rest, relaxation and fun—not just for schoolwork and classes. Get your studying done early, and don't wait until the last second to write your papers. You don't want your precious free time to be controlled by stress.

10. Money. This is actually the least important on this list, although it can feel like the most. Money gives you some advantages, but not as many as you think. In order to save, compare off-campus and on-campus housing, buy used text books and when spending, whip out your student ID everywhere. Also remember that thrift-store clothes are bigger today than ever before.

what not to say in class
//phrases that will get you in trouble & how to avoid them

You'll quickly find that things you said to your high school teachers will not be as welcome in the college classroom. Avoid statements that your professor may translate differently than you intended. A phrase you don't want to say on a daily basis is: "That doesn't make sense." This can equal, "You don't make sense."

Instead, try this: "I'm not quite sure I followed that, could you possibly explain it from a different angle?" Responding with a question puts you in the ready-to-receive-someone's-wisdom role—and all teachers love that. And asking them to say the same thing differently implies that their comment was correct, but you simply need to hear it again—which also makes you look proactive in your learning.

Here's the kiss-of-death statement to avoid at all costs: "But my high school teacher said (fill in the blank)." When you say that, your professor hears: "I choose not to form my own opinion, so I'm going with what someone else told me," or "You're not as smart as my high school teacher."

Try this instead: "That's interesting, but it had been my understanding that (fill in the blank)." Again, the implication is that your professor is wise and that you simply have dated info—and at least the second part is true.

Remember, most professors want to hear your opinions and your insights. Just make sure that you use the right words. And if you're ever in doubt as to whether you can leave out sarcasm and judgment in your comments, just nod your head and smile.

major hurdles
//challenges unique to your area of study

Based on the pile of brochures you've been sorting through, you may be under the impression that all colleges are the same—all with happy students surrounded by fall leaves or with raised hands in class and big, fake smiles on their faces. Well, you're right. They're all the same—on paper.

In the classroom, they couldn't be more different. The biggest difference you'll find is between majors. You'll have one friend you never see because her head is buried in notes 24-7, another who's always eating ramen noodles because he spent $900 on books and another who's literally coloring with crayons for his homework. Here's an idea of the typical extras that accompany some of the top majors:

Art = supply costs ranging from $200 to $800 a semester.
Communications = weekly speeches to be prepared and given.
Education= hundreds of hours spent student teaching.
English= two to five extra papers a week, ranging from two to 80 pages long.
Math= books costing $90 a piece and lots of erasers.
Pre-Med= a ridiculous amount of memorization and an incredibly difficult organic chemistry class.
Science= labs that fill up your schedule, which means learning is more dependent on you.
Theater/Dance= auditions, practice and performances that take up almost every second of your free time.

In the end, none of these will matter if you love what you're studying. So if you do, go for it—just don't go blindly.