An alarmingly large number of students work really hard to get into college–even earning scholarships–only to leave after the first year.  There are a few mistakes that cause these students to throw away tuition money, career possibilities, and a year of their lives.  Let’s take a look at these mistakes and ways to avoid them.

You Can’t Phone It In

In high school, the subjects you study are generalized.  In college, the coursework is specific and detailed.  If you breezed by doing hardly any work in high school, don’t expect to be able to do the same in college.  If you fail to study you’ll just plain fail.  Form study groups and make sure you write down assignments and make a schedule to complete them on time.

Just Because You CAN Drink Doesn’t Mean You SHOULD

Alcohol will most likely be available to you in quantities you didn’t see in high school.  This doesn’t mean you should partake at every opportunity.  Drinking dulls your mental ability.  You also don’t feel well the morning after.  Finally, drinking can cause you to miss classes more often, since your judgment will be impaired and you may not go to sleep early enough.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

You’ve probably heard this before, but it’s worth saying again:  If you have a question, there’s a good chance that at least 3 other people want to know the same thing.  Ask it.  You’ll do yourself and your classmates a favor.  Make sure you ask your classmates for help with your studies, and go to your professor when you don’t understand a concept.  If you don’t ask, you won’t know.  If you don’t know, you can’t succeed in the class.

Your first year of college is when you need to demonstrate the most discipline.  Don’t fall into the traps that others have.  Save yourself time, money, and your career by studying, staying away from the parties, and asking for help when you need it.