In my three years of college, I have learned that every cliche you hear in high school is true. Of all these cliches, the one bit of counselor advice I find detrimental to any students’ success is: you need to have the right mindset for college.
What does this even mean?
It means you need to be dedicated, you need to think positively and you need to be proactive in your studies and your schedule.
You can not succeed if you are not self-motivated. Most of you will have family members, friends, professors and advisors rooting in your favor, but if your mind is not focused on the main goal of college (receiving a diploma) then you may need to take time off, or rethink your current course of action.
Is taking time off quitting?
No, it is simply making the mature decision not to waste tuition dollars towards a path you are not fully committed to. However, it is hard to determine in the short length of one semester if college really is for you. If you are having a difficult time then revise your schedule and reduce your credit hours. At least wait a full year before you throw in the towel.
With that said, understand that college is a major adjustment. It isn’t just an educational journey, but also a transition period into adult hood. This aspect alone is intimidating. Adding projects, papers and tests into the situation can make it more over whelming, but with a positive mindset you can prevail past all these tribulations of freshman year.