If there is a magic or golden rule for college, it is the Rule of 7.
You have probably never heard of it before, but never mind that. What it means is that you should take on no more than seven things this semester. For real. That includes your four courses and three other activities, whether that be a campus job, a sport or a student group. I know this seems like an impossible thing to do, especially for those of you who were involved in 16 co-curricular activities in high school for the love of what you were doing and/or to get into a good college.
Now that you’re in one, scale it back so that you can step up to the intellectual demands and focus on your academic work. (Did you know you are supposed to dedicate three to four hour
s of outside work for every class session of a 1.00 credit course?) Scale it back so that you can be really engaged with each of your other activities and not burn out, especially in this first semester when you are also spending time and energy meeting new people, learning the landscape, and finding your place. Okay, so you end up doing eight things, but as a good guide, keep in mind the Rule of 7.