Going away for college is a massive step in the lives of both you and your parents. In school life, your parents may be able to visit the school during work hours and sort your issues out with the principal or assist you to sign up for extracurricular and classes. College life is very different. Everyone is new to it, and everyone is trying to fit in. your parents are not there to help you with the little or the big things. You are now an adult, and you need to deal with everything.
I remember when I was in my end school years, I had a rebellious phase. I partied to the max, I had reckless behavior, and I was a troublemaker. It gave me the limelight in my school, but I did not realize that school life eventually ends. Since I was so busy being a party animal, my school grades dropped, and I was unable to not get into any college I dreamed of getting into. Everyone moved away for college and moved on while I was stuck back home feeling miserable and regretting all my actions. Eventually, after taking a gap year, things did get better when I got admission to a community college, but I could have avoided all the mess I created if only I had some guidelines. I spend my gap year working on myself; to become a better human.
Instead, I learned everything on my own. So here are my seven tips for teen boys before they start college!
Set some boundaries
Setting boundaries is not limiting yourself. It is keeping yourself in a reality check at all times. Setting some boundaries will allow you to not overstep in situations. Such limitations should be based on morals and values. This will enable you to keep harmony in life.
When you set some boundaries for yourself, you allow your mind to learn self-control. You will let yourself think twice before breaking your boundaries, allowing yourself to practice boundaries. This will help you keep a self-check and teach self-self-control because no matter how much you will want to overstep, you will know what the right thing is to do in the back of your mind. You will eventually give in a follow the boundaries you have set for yourself.
Sometimes as boys grow up, they forget their manners because having manners may appear to be “uncool.” However, this doesn’t seem right. Remember your morals, manners, and values at whatever stage of life you are in. Having manners is not uncool; it is basic human decency and will make you a better person as a whole. Others will perceive you as a good person and will be more likely to spend time with you and enjoy your company!
Be your person
You need to be your person, with your own opinions and your voice. At a growing age, friends have a significant impact on who you become. Your friends’ views may become more important to you than your parents at such a tender age. You might follow your friends blindly and do things to please them so that you can fit in with them.
But let me tell you, this is entirely damaging. You need to know who you are as a person and how much your individuality matters. Peer pressure will not let you have your own opinion, choice, or your thoughts. Everything you do or say would be influenced by your friends, in a way or another.
At first, you may not realize it, but eventually, as time passes by, you will start to notice how everything you do or everything you choose is somehow linked to 0leasing your friends.
Here what you need to know. Your friends’ circle should push you to do better; they should allow you to have your thoughts, choices, and options. They should give you the space to make mistakes and still accept you even if you are different than them.
Not everybody has to like you, and not everyone will. It is essential not to let everyone affect you and carry on. It would be best to know the difference between right and wrong if you focused on what is suitable. You cannot please everyone; there will always be someone who will not like you, not your problem. You should not please others or force them into liking you; it will never work out as long as your family is with you. It is enough.
Take Responsibilities
You should start taking on more responsibilities. You should be able to responsibly handle your dishes, your laundry, cook some easy meals, be able to sweep and mop, meet all your deadlines in time and learn some life skills. You should be able to balance school life and your extracurricular activities with your free time. You need to maintain good school grades and work hard to move out of college and step into adult life.
These skills will be of tremendous help once you move out of your parent’s house and into your apartment or dorm room. This way, you will smoothly adjust and fit into the independent adult life and have a proper routine. When your rooms in order, it will make you feel better about yourself.
A great way to learn responsibility is to have a part-time job. This experience will allow you to learn a lot. You will know how to deal with finances and the different people you meet at work. You will be able to maintain a proper routine and save some extra money for your needs.
Channel your emotions into something productive
Even school life can be overwhelming. You need to make sure you channel your emotions into something productive. This will help your mind to stay healthy and strong. You will be able to process your feelings well and not bottle them inside.
You may participate in extracurricular activities to widen your perspectives of different things, create more bonds with people your age and keep your mind off the overwhelming things. You can start reading a book, develop a hobby, watch your favorite tv series, dance, or even sign up for a sport. This is the perfect way to take a break and relax.
Your mind will freshen up, solutions will appear to be more transparent, and you will know your next step1, but keep in mind that you must balance all your activities. You should be able to give them all their acquired time. Your main goal is to feel relaxed, not more burdened by the number of actions you have to do.
Take care of your mental health.
Boys are told to toughen up when they show little emotions. They are considered weak if they show feelings. It is taboo for boys to express or show emotions in today’s society. They need to be portrayed as strong and masculine.
But let me tell you, you will hear “man up” from many people you would least expect it from, but humans are supposed to feel emotions. Emotions are entirely natural and normal and have nothing to do with how masculine or strong you are. Emotions do not make you less of a “man.” You are allowed to cry; you can feel sad; you are allowed to feel hurt.
You should not be shutting your emotions away. This will cause more damage to your mental health than it already has. You need to express and show emotions to maintain a healthy brain. Blocking emotions will only make you more agitated and frustrated. You will lash out in anger at others, and in this process, you will end up hurting the people you love and do not intend to hurt.
Instead, talk to a parent or a close friend about how you feel. They may not always have a solution, but you will feel better once you let all your bottled emotions out. You may join a mental health support group for further support. A healthy brain will keep your life in line, which will help you perform daily life tasks well.
Stay away from alcohol
As a teen boy, you will be interested in attending all sorts you parties you are invited to. There is no harm in partying. But when you start drinking excessively at parties and end up blacking out, that is where your problem begins.
Attending parties and drinking safely is one thing. But attending parties and getting so drunk that it affects your life is another. You should have control over your drinking habits. There is no harm in a few celebrity drinks, but you need to draw the line once you think you have had enough. Do not push your limits. Do not let the alcohol cloud your thoughts and judgments.
Ensure you are with a trusted friend all the time you decide to have a couple of drinks. Getting drunk will surely cloudy your decision-making ability, and there is a high chance of you making dumb decisions that you will regret all your life. So, it is for the best that you eliminate such a chance overall and drink safely. Take responsibility for your health by joining the alcohol abuse management center if things have gone out of your hand.
Take care of your physical health
Taking care of your physical health is as important as taking care of your mental health. They both go hand in hand. You should have a proper routine from the start, go to bed on time, cut short your screen time, wake up early in the morning, go for a run, brush your teeth, have a healthy breakfast, and eat well thought the day. When you are young, your parents have great control over your routine. But as you grow older, you become lazier and may not maintain a proper routine. A good routine allows you to manage your entire day well.
You can complete all your tasks on time and then do whatever you want with your left free time. You should have a healthy food intake in your body, avoid sugary food and sodas. Register yourself for some everyday physical activity like in a sports club. You can try out yoga and meditation, which are great for stress relief.