College Survival Quiz: Understanding your Strengths and Weaknesses

College can be a trying time for many people. You have to make so many adjustments. Living away from your family is one of these. Managing your daily chores, keeping up with school assignments and trying to figure out what you want to major in can be sources of stress. Some people just seem to float through college. It looks as though they don’t have to work for anything. You might be looking at these folks enviously and wondering what they have that you don’t. Take the following college survival quiz to help you figure out your strong points and weak ones.

College Survival Quiz

1.  When was the last time you made your bed?

__This morning, of course!

__Last week sometime.

__I don’t make my bed; my mother does that.

A large part of going to college is learning to do all of the little things on your own. If you don’t make your bed, no one’s going to do it for you. Plus, you’ll also have to make time for laundry, a little bit of dusting and sweeping and mopping up your place. Try to get into the habit of doing these things regularly or you’ll find them piling up.

2.  Do you usually make it to things on time?

__Yep, I’m bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

__Most of the time, I’m punctual.

__The alarm has to go off five times before I can get up and throw on my clothes.

It’s up to you to make it to your classes on time. Not being there at 9 a.m. on the dot, might mean a lower grade for you, even if your class work is up to par. Remember, no one is going to be around to make sure that you’re punctual. So you need to remind yourself to develop this quality or you’ll regret it even after you’re done with college.

3.  Are you organized? Can you usually find the things you need?

__Absolutely. My motto is: a place for everything and everything in its place.

__Most of the time, I can find what I need. Sometimes, I forget to charge my phone or take my keys.

__If I search under the pizza cartons in the living room, I can find anything.

No matter how brilliant you are, it’s going to be hard for you to succeed at college if you’re not organized. Most people don’t think about this, but you have to juggle a lot of things while you’re in college. You’ll need to do balance chores, schoolwork and, possibly, a part-time job. If you can’t keep all your priorities straight and remember your deadlines, it’s going to be hard for you to get through the tough stuff, like figuring out your major.

4.  Have you thought about what you’re majoring in?

__I knew I was going to be an English major when I turned 10 and read Pride and Prejudice.

__I’m at the end of my freshman year and I think it’s going to be either English or Philosophy.

__English, I think. Or maybe Philosophy? But French is so interesting too. Maybe I’ll triple major!

There’s no need to know exactly what you’re going to do when you go to college. However, you should at least think about it, so that you can make sure that the school you go to has a good department in that subject. Plus, take some time to think more about it at the end of every semester. Discuss it with your advisers and your parents, but make sure you make your own decision.

5.  Do you have a good social life?

__Absolutely. My boyfriend, my three BFFs and I are going to the same college.

__I have a couple of close friends and many acquaintances.

__I said “hi” to a couple of people during orientation six months ago.

You’re going to be living away from your family, which generally means that you might feel a bit lonely to begin with. So you really need to make an effort to develop a group of friends that you feel comfortable with. Your friends should challenge you, but in a way that doesn’t make you give up. Try to choose them with care and don’t be afraid to speak your mind in a group setting.

Did we miss an important strength or weakness? Let us know about it in the comment section below.