Bad habits all Rutgers students should break

Have you ever thought about all the things you have to get done, and then when the time comes to get down to business… you lay down and relax or waste about three hours on Twitter? I guess that’s kind of like asking whether or not the sky is blue.

As much fun as they are, these bad habits don’t want you to succeed. They don’t want you to win. They gon’ try to stop you (shoutout to DJ Khaled for his ultimate wisdom). All jokes aside, here are some habits us college students should drop ASAP.

Avoiding uncomfortable situations/environments

Whether you aspire to be an entrepreneur, financial analyst, journalist, or even a butterfly tattoo salesman, don’t avoid meeting new people. Don’t skip that career fair just because your friends aren’t going — go anyways. Too often, people play it safe and only do the things they’re comfortable with. How can you expect to take the next step on the path to success if you keep yourself contained in familiar environments, surrounded by the same people?

Making it obvious when you dislike someone

PSA: That person you secretly can’t stand may one day be a recruiter with the potential to hire you. The “beneficial acquaintances” you meet aren’t exactly the friends you would hang out with, and that’s perfectly okay. I’m not suggesting being fake and changing your entire persona when you’re around certain people, but just play nice — don’t make it clear that you dislike being in their presence, because that won’t get you far. Remember looking for a summer job in high school and the only way to get one was if you “knew someone”? Well, the adult professional world is the same way, but with way higher stakes.

Having no balance

Take time to make memories

If you messed up last semester and didn’t get those As you wanted because you stayed out too late, too frequently… Why would you repeat that same error the following semester? I personally know people who made this mistake every semester until graduation. Have fun — it’s an essential part of college and in discovering a sense of self. Just remember your obligations and responsibilities as well. You have years ahead of you to spend nights at the bar — why would you choose to go to the bar during the week you have 4 papers due, an exam to study for, and a presentation? It’s all about time management.

Waking up late

It may not seem like a big deal — especially on days you don’t have class — but it’s all about mentally preparing for the day. If you were to study some of the most successful people in any industry in the world, you will learn that they all wake up early and have a specific morning routine they follow to get their minds right. It may seem hard at first, especially if you love your sleep (like I do), but the end reward is that you’ll feel more energetic every morning, making the days a little easier to tackle. Find your morning routine.

Sitting in the back of huge lecture halls

Wake up guys…

Do you want to play catch-up the entire semester? I used to think the whole “students who sit in the front tend to do better” thing wasn’t true. I mean, as long as you’re paying attention while sitting in the back you should be fine, right? Wrong. Sitting in the front can prevent you from pulling out your phone so much, online shopping on Amazon in the middle of class, and it helps the professor remember your face and name, which can be enormously beneficial.

Waiting until the last minute to study

We’ll just study for our exam when we get home at 3am

Binge watch your current favorite show on Netflix or study? Hmmm… I’m sure we’ve all been in this position, so it’s understandable to be conflicted. We all have other obligations and responsibilities —  and it is necessary to relax at times— but there is always time to squeeze in 30 minutes of studying. If you do that, you’ll avoid situations where, minutes before the exam, you’re still flipping through your notes to get those last couple of definitions or formulas embedded into your brain. Redirect those minutes you spend on Twitter or Netflix and put it into studying. You’ll thank yourself later.