Breaking: Community college is hard

I think you'll like this article I just wrote for Huffington Post College:

The Biggest Misconception About Community College

The craziest thing you can do in college

If you're looking for a wild idea for your college experience, one that's right on the edge - risky - that could even cause you to possibly not graduate, then you've come to the right place.

No, I'm not talking about any nutty party antics (did I just say "nutty?"....yeah...you can tell I've never been a party person).

What I am talking about is the craziest thing college students do - something that makes NO sense, and yet something the majority of students do when they start out - myself included.

It's a crazy thing that you should STOP as soon as possible if you want to be successful in college. But for the most part it's impossible to stop until someone tells you why you should.

What am I talking about?

Doing college alone. 

I spoke to students about college completion yesterday and the Student Life Director who hired me told me about a term her colleague had come up with - "PCP students." It stood for their typical college routine:

Parking Lot - Class - Parking Lot.

In my book I call that drive-thru education.

And it's crazy. It's nutty. It doesn't make sense. And it's the most insane thing you can do.

Because NO ONE DOES COLLEGE SUCCESSFULLY ALONE.

College completion is a team sport.

And trying to do it alone is like one football player - no matter how good he might be - trying to play against an entire team. It makes no sense. He doesn't have a chance. He'll lose, and the dangerous part is that he may think it's his fault - that he's not good enough, that maybe he's not cut out for this.

But the truth is that he's trying to play a team sport alone. He could be great with a team. 

The same is true for you.

I think one of the major reasons students drop out of college is they don't understand how to get connected beyond the PCP routine. 

This is especially relevant to commuter students, of which most community college students are. 

When I started community college I was crazy too. I just went to class and went home. I didn't know there was anything more to do. I figured that was basically all that was important.

Class, of course, IS the most important thing in college. BUT - your ability to stay engaged and do your best in class is also affected by the team you've build around you to help you succeed.

I'm talking about having friends to study with, having professors whose offices you can frequent to ask for help and advice, and knowing the right staff throughout the college who can help you manage your entire college experience (e.g. see 15 places you must visit on your college campus).  

Don't be crazy and try to do college alone. Even Harvard students have a team of over six types of mentors to help them navigate the experience. Everyone needs help!!

Here are three steps to start building your team and not be a crazy person ;) ==>

1) Go visit the Student Life office on your campus and ask about clubs and other events and opportunities they offer. Then make it a priority in your schedule to GO. Join your favorite club. Become an officer.

2) Visit your professors during their office hours to ask about advice on an upcoming assignment, check in with a current assignment you're working on to make sure you're on the right track, or ask their advice about a question you're having about college in general. 

3) Build free-time in your schedule next semester in between classes. Do not schedule your classes back-to-back. Space them out to force yourself to stay on campus where you'll have the time to meet people, ask for help, and explore all the hidden opportunities at your college (as well as having important time to do your HW in the library!). As much as possible, try to work only on nights and weekends so you can dedicate your weekdays to having a successful college experience. 

Okay, so stop being a nutty crazy pants and go build your college success team! You're now officially out of excuses, because now you know. ;)

Oh and BONUS tip - my book is literally all about how to build your college success team. It includes how to make friends, exactly what you can ask professors, and sample e-mail scripts to reach out to professional mentors. Check it out here!

How to make friends in college

A lot of students ask me how to make friends in college. While I share a lot of advice on this blog, my YouTube channel, and my book, in the end it all comes down to stepping outside your comfort zone. And recently, I was reminded just how hard that is: 

Commuter students can still have fun

A student recently asked me how she could still enjoy her college experience while being a commuter student. In this vlog I share tips about what I did during my 4 years as a commuter college student to have a memorable experience. Keep sending your questions to advice@communitycollegesuccess.com =)

Do You Wear a Backpack?

I was a commuter student all 4 years of college and - especially when I transferred to a university – I was known as the girl with the really big bag. 

Why did I carry such a huge Marry-Poppins type quilted cloth bag?

Because:

A) It was cute.

B) I had to bring multiple books and materials every day since in between classes I often did HW for other classes.

C) I also packed my lunch every day and needed space for that

D)   I needed room for my laptop

When you don’t have a dorm you’re not exactly rolling out of bed, grabbing the book you need for the next class and then heading off to class with a book and a folder, you need stuff – lots of stuff. 

My biggest secret to getting straight A’s in college as a commuter student was scheduling my classes far apart so I would spend extra time in the library getting my homework done (room/apartment = sleep and fun. Not a good place for HW). But in order to do that I needed materials for all of my classes on me at all times.

I wish I would have known what I am about to tell you now. Because while my cloth bag was big and cute and held everything I needed, it:

A)   Made me stick out like a crazy bag lady

B)   Made my shoulders hurt constantly

C)   Made it really difficult to find stuff because it was all floating around in one big bag

D)   Wasn’t upright and so it often crumpled papers/folders

This may seem incredibly crazy and stupid, but for some reason I stopped wearing backpacks after middle school. In high school I started using totes and messenger backs and so for some reason in college getting a backpack never occurred to me.

So recently Samsonite sent me one of their new tectonic backpacks to try out and review on the blog (and first of all, yes, that is so cool!  I’m officially a blog celebrity getting SWAG. The only problem is now I have a huge head and walk around telling my husband to watch out because I may start traveling the world going to red-carpet events now that I’m so legit ;). If you know anyone who works for Banana Republic, Oreos, or Hawaiian Airlines please let them know I’d be happy to accept their products and tell everyone on my blog how amazing they are).

And at first I was like - this is awesome I can't believe I'm getting a free backpack, and then I was like...hmmm....I never really wear back packs. And then it arrived on my doorstep in the mail and when I opened it up I immediately thought:

 I WISH I HAD THIS BACKPACK WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE.

Seriously. You have no idea.

I would never share anything on this blog that I didn’t 100% believe in, and this backpack literally rocked my socks off. To put it in perspective, when I heard I was getting a free backpack I thought well I’ll try it out and then give it away because I’m not really a backpack person.

But all it took is me gliding the smooth zipper that felt like it would last 100 years and looking into all the compartments and feeling inside the solid laptop case that’s in the back pocket and thinking about how much the designer messenger bag I bought for my laptop kills my shoulders to have me 100% COMPLETLEY IN LOVE with this backpack.

In order to try it out I decided to start doing my Masters homework during my lunch break at work. So I stuffed the backpack with my books, folders, papers, water bottle, lunch, pens, laptop, laptop charger, and headphones and headed out the door for a few days.

It was magic.

The back of the backpack is padded so it is so comfortable. And the zippers are literally a dream to open and close. I can’t quite explain this  but it was the first thing I noticed and I seriously love opening and closing this backpack.

It has so many compartments so all of my little things stayed in place and it was so easy for me to quickly retrieve something I needed.

And even carrying a heavy laptop and books did not feel like a burden in this thing. The laptop sleeve inside is so secure that I feel like I could throw the backpack across the room and my laptop would be fine.

Being organized in school is more important than you think. When you can easily find your stuff, have what you need to bring everything you need, and know where everything is at any given time, it can increase your confidence and make you feel more prepared. 

Think about your first days of school when you were younger. I can so clearly remember putting my new box of freshly sharpened colored pencils in my Lion King backpack.Why should that feeling change in college?

Find a backpack you LOVE and that will LAST all 4 years. Hint: THIS IS THE ONE!

You can buy this backpack online in a few different colors for 50% off right now (It’s regularly $120…which is still totally worth it for this kind of backpack if you use it all 4 years). It probably won't be $53.99 for long so buy it now if you can :)

I’m a pretty girly person but I have to tell you I am in love with the backpack look. It comes in a few different colors so you can get one that has a bit more flare to it, (I like the blue one) but I have to say I really do love the black one. It goes with everything and has the classic and trusted Samsonite logo in this great orangey/coral color that I really like.

And when I wear it I kind of feel like “ya, I’m cute and girly and I wear a backpack because I’m cool and rugged too.”

Okay so this obviously wasn’t me in college but I wish it had been!

So now I’ll be using this incredible backpack any chance I get. It’s come in handy a lot at work with all of the travel and supplies we use. And I know it’s going to change my life next time I travel and won’t have to kill my shoulder with my laptop bag.

I highly recommend this backpack. It will change your life and be your best friend and help you stay organized even if you’re not an organized person and keep your back from hurting and hug you all the time and help you get better grades and keep your electronics safe and make you look cool.

And if you ever meet up with me for anything, I’ll be the girl with the awesome no-nonsense magical Samsonite Tectonic backpack.

Samsonite has officially converted me into a backpack lover, and I will never go back ;)

To read more about Isa's personal story & how you can build relationships to: make positive friends, be more successful in academics and work, find the right people to connect with, and access the hidden job market, grab a FREE e-copy of the first chapter of Community College Success: How to Finish with Friends, Scholarships, Internships, and the Career of Your Dreams! Claim your free copy on the Facebook page!