20 Bad High School Habits That Don't Belong in College
As a high school student, you've probably been able to get away with a lot of bad behaviors. But as you get ready for college, you're about to enter a whole new atmosphere where you're expected to be a mature adult. To prepare for these new responsibilities, there are some bad habits you should work on breaking before you get to college.
1. Staying home sick when you're perfectly healthy.
Pretty much all high school students have told their parents they were too sick to go to school when they were really feeling fine. While your parents may have made sure you didn't overuse this excuse and miss too many classes, you'll be on your own in college. It will be up to you to make sure you're going to your classes and not falling behind.
2. Playing with your phone during classes and study halls.
It's always tempting to pull out your phone and check it, even when you know that you're not supposed to. Few college professors will find it acceptable to do so when you should be paying attention to them. Start practicing leaving the phone alone now so that once you're in your higher ed classes you won't even think about your phone.
3. Giving lame excuses.
Maybe in high school your teachers went along with your excuses for not turning in a homework assignment, like you missed the class or your printer broke, even if they didn't believe you. But now you're being treated as a responsible adult, which means you'll be expected to take care of your assignments no matter what. Leave your old excuses in your high school locker and get ready to not even need them.
4. Doodling instead of taking notes.
How many times have you started making drawings in your notebook instead of writing down notes? Your coursework in college will be much more challenging so you need to stay on top of the information being delivered, which means taking detailed notes so that you have everything needed to study later on.
5. Paying more attention to your friends than your instructors.
During class you might be tempted to ask your friends about what they did over the weekend or if they want to get coffee at the end of the day. This is something that can wait until class is over. Finding out the answers certainly isn't worth missing part of the lecture.
6. Being the class clown.
While you were in high school your classmates might have gotten a kick out of your disruptive antics. But when you're in a more mature setting with fellow degree-seekers, it might not be seen as entertaining. Students who are taking their studies seriously might not appreciate you interrupting important lectures just to try to be funny.
7. Not bothering to study for tests.
Most college students have probably decided to skip studying for a test and to just wing it. If you feel really confident in a course, it's easy to think you know the material well enough to pass without actually studying. Really, though, you need to take every test seriously and study for it to make sure you're excelling and not just squeezing by.
8. Turning in messy assignments.
Have you ever turned in a paper with food stains on it or an assignment with such messy handwriting that it can barely be read? Maybe your high school teachers were willing to grin and bear it, but your college professors might not accept assignments that look like that.
9. Relying on your teacher for pens and paper.
High school teachers tend to expect that every now and then a student will show up to class without anything to write with or anything to write on. However, your college professor is going to expect all students to have their supplies with them and certainly aren't going to be carrying around extra notepads or writing utensils.
10. Expecting your teacher to make sure you have missed homework assignments.
When you were absent from high school, maybe your teachers specifically made a point of seeking you out to give you any assignments you missed so that you wouldn't end up with a zero grade. That's another thing your college professors aren't likely to do. If for some reason you miss a class in college, it will be up to you to take the initiative to find out the work you owe.
11. Only skimming your readings.
The more your coursework piles up, the more likely you are to start skimming readings, but you can't actively participate in class discussions in college if you haven't actually read the materials. It will also make it a lot harder to do well on assignments and exams.
12. Going to class late.
Dawdling on your way to class and stopping to chat with friends can make you late to class. If you do this in college, it could end up hurting you if you have a professor who won't let you in if you're late or who will mark you as absent if you're even just a little tardy.
13. Leaving books at home because you don't feel like carrying them.
In a high school classroom there might be an extra book laying around so if you don't bother to bring yours you can use that to follow along. But your professors aren't going to have an extra one with them, so it's important to bring your own so you won't be lost during lectures.
14. Having your parents be your alarm clock.
Do you still have your mom or dad wake you up in the morning to make sure you get to school on time? That's not going to fly in college. It's time to start using your own alarm clock and taking responsibility for getting up and out the door.
15. Being unorganized.
Working toward a degree can certainly be a challenge and being unorganized will only make matters worse. High school might have been structured enough so that you could skate by even as an unorganized mess. But if you really want to be successful in college, you need get yourself together and get organized.
16. Being the quiet student in the back of the classroom.
Have you always been the shy type who prefers to keep to themselves unless someone else initiates the conversation? It could benefit you to work on coming out of your shell and being more outgoing in college. First of all, some professors take class participation into consideration when coming up with final grades. Additionally, once you're in this new atmosphere, you're going to want to take the initiative to make new friends.
17. Don't save all of your homework for the last minute.
Procrastinating will only end up hurting the quality of your work and, in turn, your grades. By starting your assignments as soon as they're given, you can make sure you're handing in the highest quality work possible.
18. Thinking that you're the coolest kid in school.
Maybe in the world of your high school you were the top dog and made sure everybody knew that. But you might want to leave that attitude at home since you're going to be in a whole new world that is probably much larger than what you were used to. Recognize that you're in a bigger pond now and can benefit from meeting all of these new people.
19. Worrying about your social life more than your academics.
In high school it can be easier to worry more about befriending the popular kids or making sure you don't miss the big sporting event that everyone else is going to. College is a serious academic commitment and it's important for you to make sure your studies always come first.
20. Being a follower.
If you've developed the habit of following someone else's lead at all times instead of taking charge yourself college could be the perfect time to change that. Start developing your leadership skills and show that you can be a leader.