Hey there, pal! Without a doubt, you have many questions about college life! It reminds you of an ocean full of unknown and probably dangerous species. But no worries, cuz Nerdify is here to help!

Making it through your freshman year at college is like stepping on a way of the warrior – the secret is to learn how to fight for your rights as you learn, analyze, interact, become organized, and start to think strategically. No, the real trick is to have fun no matter what! Here are some helpful tips to guide you through the first year of college life without too much trouble, stress, and anxiety.  

Getting Organized Is the Key!

You have read it right – you have to become organized no matter what as it is one of the most important skills that you should have in order to survive through college. It does not matter what your strong and weak sides are because you have to work on other issues. They are time management, learning all the due dates for important diverse events, keeping track of available funds, and so on. We have it summed up for you, so you know what parts of your life have to be under control:

1. Use organizers, smartphone applications or a big calendar on your wall to keep track of all the critical deadlines. It should not only be about college but about anything that is important in your life. Even birthdays, invitations, financial matters, family gatherings, and scheduled meetings with college professors.

2. Organize each task from the urgent to less urgent and less difficult to most difficult assignments. This allows you to manage your time and physical strength by starting with the most important tasks first while knowing what tasks can be easily completed to help you feel satisfied.

3. Create a budget for yourself, consult with your friends and family, so you can get a word of advice and see how you can feel financially secure.

Become a Jedi of Social Interaction.

You have to work really hard on your personality and place in the society as you enter college. It is not really difficult to become a Jedi of social interaction! No matter how complicated your studies may be, your strong social skills, charisma, warm smile or a friendly pat on the back will always do much more than you can imagine! So, what exactly has to be done?  Okay, just follow this list:

1. Do not miss meetings with your professors. There are special scheduled hours that all professors have, so take advantage of each opportunity and speak of what makes you feel concerned.  

2. Meet your academic adviser. This person is really important for your success and college progress, so getting to know him or her and becoming friends is critical. In case something does not work, remember that you can always ask for another academic adviser.

3. As a part of social interaction, get involved in all things campus: student organizations, clubs, voluntary work, all kinds of fraternities, if you would like. Start a band or become a part of a college sports team. You will not only make new friends and learn some amazing skills but will eventually feel connected and at home.

4. Build a network of friends, meet new people, and do not be afraid of taking mentoring roles to support and help other people.

Building a Bridge Between Studies and Times of Leisure.

One of the worst challenges a college warrior faces is fighting for the girl or a guy he or she has a crush on. No, seriously, it is quite an issue! Just be yourself and speak of your feelings! Unfortunately, romance is not the only problem you will face at college.

Okay, now another challenge is finding a right balance between the studies and times of leisure. Out of all things, find a cozy and calm place where you can study and concentrate. Next, study course syllabus more than twice and see when and what are your due dates, so you can plan that party without damaging your academic progress. College life is always balancing between your social life and study-related events, so the best thing you can do is make it 50/50. You have to study hard, so you can party hard!

As you strive for good grades, do not forget to use all the available study resources on campus. If there are learning labs and tutors, make sure that you use their help even if you think that you do not need it. After all, they have a purpose to be here… and that purpose is YOU! Still, if you do not think that it is an option, try to become a part of study groups, so you and your friends can schedule the same time for studies and leisure. This way you can find some peace and stop feeling like letting someone down!

Battle of Priorities

We are sure that you have heard it all before, but we will say it again that college life, especially the freshman year, is a battle of priorities where important things should come first. Okay, but what is important and how to understand what is really important? Yes, studying is necessary, but unlike most guides, we want to tell you that taking some time for yourself is just as important as academia! If you feel totally stressed, no high grades will be of any good. Even if it is your favorite television show, writing a journal, playing guitar or just riding a bicycle through the park, it is just as important!

All you have to do is to take full responsibility for what you choose and work on your priorities. Try to take one step at a time as you study and make a list of what tasks are closer to the deadline, what college assignments should be done as soon as possible to stop making your life a mess. Yet, at the same time, always ask yourself about what will make you feel best of all even in the middle of a Jedi battle with another complex subject!  

Just remember that even if doing things the last minute before the lessons start could work in high school, it may not work in college. So, it is much safer to stick to deadlines and prioritize your time and resources. In other words, do not take shortcuts and do not cut corners as you progress. Do not cheat because it is your life. It surely deserves the best you can give!

When Things Just Won’t Work…

Trust us, we all have been in situations when things just won’t work and you feel like it is the end of the world! It is perfectly normal because you are in a different environment, you are away from home, so there come anxiety and homesickness among other things. Even if you always wanted to get away from home, college is not always what you have expected. There are three basic rules that you should remember to help you overcome sadness, stress, anxiety, and this feeling when you just do not want to be in college any longer.

1. Stay on campus as much as you can, so the more time you spend on campus, the more you will feel at home and as a part of a community. Join social and cultural events that take place to get your mind away. Try to be creative, have fun, joke around, and inspire people because, trust us, they feel bad too even if they do not show it!

2. Be ready to feel stressed, tired, and overwhelmed. Just know that you are not the only one feeling this way. Do not feel pressured to make hasty decisions about chosen career or a major. Give it some time, try to learn and see what it is. It is not a race that you have to win. Hence, see what you really enjoy, but take time to learn it inside out, talk to professors and other students before you make a turn.

3. Seek professional help when and IF you feel that you need it. It is perfectly normal. The colleges have counseling and health centers, so if you are not feeling well, you should let professionals know. Depression, bullying, feeling isolated, harassment or any conflicts should be reported, as you do not have to face these challenges alone.

We hope that all these little tricks and tips will help you to get through the freshman year at college. Be determined, take advantage of your social network of friends, voluntary work, and the special skills you definitely have. Have fun as you learn, give some time for yourself and remember that it is your life that you can control. You are already a warrior who is winning the first battle because you have what it takes!

Do not forget that you are studying to help yourself feel good about life and do not let any stress ruin it, just contact Nerdify for help any time.

Sleep is important, we love it (especially here at Nerdify), we spend a third of lives doing it and yet lots of people have a problem waking up every morning.

Lack of sleep is a real problem and has been linked to short-memory loss, difficulty concentrating and depression. According to a recent study, from the Rand Corporation, United States economy loses staggering $411 billion a year due to lack sleep among the working population.

An average person needs roughly 7-8 hours of bedtime to be in tip-top shape. But simply lying in bed won’t cut it. The quality of sleep is equally important.

We’ll share some tips with you, on how to get the best sleep possible every single night:

1. Keep a constant sleep cycle

Our bodies have a natural biological clock, called “circadian rhythms” that basically say when you should be awake and when you should be sleeping. Messing with it will make you tired all day long. Try focusing on going to bed (and waking up) at roughly the same time. That way, your body will adjust its melatonin production ( the hormone responsible for making you feel sleepy) to your sleep cycle.

2. Switch off your laptop/mobile phone

Our screens emit “blue spectrum light” which makes our bodies think it’s “daylight” suppressing the melatonin production, hence you stay awake past midnight checking your FB or watching YouTube. This is EXACTLY the reason why staring at your mobile phone or laptop when going to bed, is a terrible idea. Thus, 1 hour before bedtime – put your mobile phone away and switch off your laptop!

3. Take a shower and cool your room

Various studies have shown, that the best sleep comes at around 68 degrees °F (approx. 20 °C) room temperature. So try cooling your room before bedtime. Another thing you can do is taking a quick hot shower. This will help you relax and let your eyes rest before going to bed.

4. Read a book or meditate

The last 30 minutes before bed should really be all about relaxing and preparing your mind for sleep. Clearing your mind with meditation or yoga, reading a book will quickly take a toll on you and you’ll be falling asleep shortly. You can also sniff some lavender essential oils! Many studies have indicated that breathing in lavender help people relax and get better quality sleep.

5. Once you wake up – get some sunlight

As discussed previously – melatonin is the hormone that makes you sleepy. Our body starts producing it when the sun goes down. To STOP melatonin production – get some sunlight right after you jump out of bed, production of the melatonin will stop and your body will know that it’s time to wake up!

Here at Nerdify, we help you succeed during your academic years. We think it’s incredibly important students achieve their goals because education is one of the biggest investments one makes in his life. If you feel like the pressure is mounting up and you need a helping hand – get in touch and we’ll make sure you have enough sleep today 😉

Hey there! What a lovely day to enjoy new Nerdify reviews post. Ready to unleash your bad habits and fight them?

It’s already December and soon enough you gonna think of new resolutions to make. College is a challenging time, which always comes with risks of really bad academic troubles that we all seem to go through from time to time. There are new challenges, unknown environment, too much studying, and the joy of youth kicking in, so it is only natural that you try to cut the corners and find an easy way out! Nevertheless, it is important to take care of your college life and do your best to ditch the bad academic habits.

1. The Art of Procrastination

Procrastination problem is what most students face on a daily basis as soon as the battle of deadlines versus the fun times starts! There is a movie that you definitely want to see or a party that you want to join early to meet your best friend or even a blog post that you want to read. This is when procrastination gets in the way. Trust us, we all have been there and it is only natural to put off some difficult tasks and think that you can do it later. The best way to ditch this bad habit is writing down a list of the “urgent” and “not so urgent” tasks in two columns. This way you can get more focused at tasks at hand and organize your time in a more efficient way!

2. Junk Food Problem

While it is tasty, quick, and you do not have to spend way too much time cooking, junk food can become a bad academic habit that comes up as soon as you start the college and try to get through the myriad of tasks. You run around, you catch a bite here and there, you talk to your friends as you eat, run around in the park, still chewing something. Sounds familiar? Add the late night pizza and Chinese takeouts to the list and you risk making all the healthcare specialists sad and angry! If there is a kitchen in your college room, start cooking your own simple food and check with your college friends to share the tips and get the best recipes. Moreover, stick to more accurate dining times and make sure that a time when you eat something is not in the middle of another task!

3. Using “you know”, “like” and “totally” When You Speak.

Now that you are about to become a skilled professional, your task is to work at the social skills and strive for academic success. You have to learn how to speak in a professional way and get rid of all the rubbish words and slang. We all get this “you know” and “like” bugs in our sentences, yet getting rid of these words can be really helpful. Just give it a bit more thought and learn to breathe! They call them “the filler words” because they are used to fill the space when you do not know what to say or when your lack of confidence comes through. Instead of using all these words, try to think and learn to talk at a slower pace, allowing yourself to focus on a subject and remember all the important information. This way the people will listen to you and know that you are experienced and have sufficient knowledge.

4. Ignoring College Group Projects

While far not everyone is guilty of this bad academic habit, it still exists and can be damaging to your college success, future resume, and a list of strong social skills that you definitely should have. Think of the group work where some people seem to do it all for the others while you just sit and watch. Do not be like one of such students and take an active role! Show some good work ethics and find a golden medium between a laid-back attitude and being a control freak. Be open to suggestions, yet learn to speak your opinion. It is a group project after all and everyone should do their best to be responsible and contribute!

5. The King of the Party

Sometimes it seems that it is not possible to survive through college without partying! While some of this is true since you do not have to turn nerdy and geeky being stuck in a college room with the books all the time, you have to remember of all the important deadlines and organize your parties (and the ones you want to join) wisely, so it does not affect your academic schedule and the other commitments. Make a party something to look forward to with no dark shadows from the tasks you have not finished yet!  Even if you are a king of the party and like to have fun, remember that you can do both, if you manage your time and the plans!

6. You Bite More Than You Can Swallow: Doing Too Much at Once!

It is no wonder that an endless list of homework to do, confusing classes, and all the extra-curricular activities can make things a little bit too difficult! As a result, you may get a bad habit of trying to do it all at once. You start multi-tasking and aim for finishing several tasks at the same time. You may be a member of several clubs and you try to join two or more group projects, yet you start noticing that you are stressed out and anxious. It is a normal reaction of your mind and body to biting more than you can swallow. The solution is to take one step at a time and form a daily timetable to make sure that you give your best to each task. When you cannot do your best in a club or fail your friends by not being there, thinking of a next activity, it is never any good!

7. Bad Sleeping Habits

This is definitely one of the worst habits a college student may get! It is also one of the most challenging problems to get rid of! As your sleeping habits get worse and start to affect your grades and health in general, there are several ways to stay away from trouble! Schedule some morning time at the college gym, for example, or team up with your roommate by making plans for a specified time. This way you can keep quiet when you have to study and party hard when you both feel like it! Make sure to go to bed at the right time and remember that sleeping is important even when you feel energetic.

8. The Lack of Fashion

Maybe not really a bad academic habit, but it still makes a certain impression about you! The talk is about a lack of fashion or a specific fashion a college student may have. Think of your favorite t-shirt and the sweatpants that you just put on and let go. While it is quite convenient, it makes you look stressed out and not so professional. Choose the clothes that make you look stylish and professional, making it clear that you care for your outfit. Once people notice that you care for the way you look, you are no longer “that college student”, but a “bright and motivated person”!

9. Spending Too Much Time Online

Not exclusively a college student’s bad problem, the time we spend online is more harmful to your life and success when you have to study and get the good grades. We often tell ourselves that “five more minutes” won’t make a difference and scroll down to another post on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Yet, it all takes time! Just make your online presence useful for your future major by making your profile look professional and combine your social networks knowledge and skills with the exploration of a subject that you study!

10. Getting Rid of Laziness

Laziness is always a trouble for a college student and basically anyone who tries to reach some progress and grow as a person! Do not waste your time for the meaningless and dull things that just take your time and teach you nothing. Join social clubs, get involved in volunteering, and explore the opportunities that a college life offers! Do not sit locked in your college room, meet people, smile to others, have fun at the party, share your knowledge, experience, and skills, and learn how to make new friends! Do not be lazy because listening to this bad habit is actually stealing your own life!

Take care and stay motivated,

Nerdify reviews team