Ask a poll of seasoned college students about their college experience and you’ll likely get conflicting answers.

Some consider college nothing more than an extension of high school – not that much more difficult, totally manageable, and a boatload more fun. Others, on the other hand, found themselves completely blindsided and totally ill-equipped to handle the amount and difficulty of homework and relentless pressure, and they couldn’t seem to get into the rhythm of managing their time effectively.

Although college students sit on opposite sides of the fence about the challenges they faced in college, the majority agree that the areas that did challenge them boiled down to just a few.

Don’t fall short of the key skills needed to ensure your success in college. Here are the top six that, once mastered, will make your life in college a whole lot easier.

Time Management (Competing Demands Can Take its Toll)

The minute you step foot on campus, the world is your oyster – no one is breathing down your neck, telling you what to do or where to be. You have the freedom to do as much, or as little, as you wish.

Embracing the freedom of college is definitely a good thing. Eventually, however, your free time will be filled with competing demands that can take its toll on you academically, socially, and even psychologically. And, in college, even a small oversight can deliver a crucial blow to your grades, so it’s more important than ever to conquer the skill of managing your time effectively.

Helpful Tip:

If you’re an entering freshman, you most likely won’t grasp the concept of  “time management” until your second semester after you realize just how crucial a skill it really is. Simple things like staying organized, avoiding distractions, balancing study time with social time, and keeping up with your health can prove to be extremely helpful when you’re trying to juggle a busy college life. To help you stay organized, take advantage of free time management apps that will help you do everything from scheduling homework and note-taking to managing to-do lists and avoiding distractions.

Effective Study Habits (Time to Step Up Your Game)

It doesn’t take long for most students to figure out that in order to be successful in college you have to step up your “study game.” While you may have gotten away with memorizing facts in high school, most college classes delve into subjects on a much deeper level which can be difficult to grasp without added, smarter effort.

Developing solid study skills is all about knowing what works for you, studying smarter (not harder), and self-discipline. What works for others may not work for you and what worked for you in high school may not work in college.

Helpful Tip:

Thankfully, the era of technological advancements has provided college students with a host of great study tools that can help make studying easier and more fun. Cool apps for your mobile phone and laptop, designed specifically with college students in mind, make it easy to focus and streamline your studying and improve your overall performance – all at the touch of a finger. For the latest tools available, check out this Expert Guide on How to Study for College and Top 10 Study Tools for College Kids.

The Ability to Write Well (Tweeting Doesn’t Count)

(Image compliments of Doug Savage at www.savagechickens.com)

It’s simply a fact. When you step on campus in college, your writing skills will be put to the test. Although you may think you’re a skilled writer (280 characters on your Twitter feed doesn’t count) there’s a fairly good chance your professors in college will knock you off your mighty writing pedestal with enough red-lined marks on your essays to make you question whether you really knew anything at all.

Presentations, reports, letters, essays – you’ll be surprised how many you’ll have to write during your four years on campus. And, considering the fact that college professors don’t pass out “A’s” for effort, having the ability to take complex thoughts and transform them into straightforward, clear sentences that make sense is a skill that will not only improve your grades but will also make your life a whole lot easier in college.

Helpful Tip:

To improve your writing skills and enhance your creative voice, check out this website for 15 Practical Tips to Becoming a Better Writer or you can take the inexpensive (yet, still effective) route and tap into several free writing courses that are available online.

Research Skills (A Simple Google Search Won’t Cut it in College)

There are a few things you might be able to escape in college, but researching isn’t one of them.  Regardless of your major, you’ll be required to write papers that require a vast amount of research, and having a few tricks up your sleeve to make it easier can make all the difference in the world when it’s crunch time and you’re juggling five deadlines at once.

Helpful Tip:

To help you become a better researcher, it’s all about knowing where to go to find information and how to organize it. While a quick Google search can help you find information on just about any topic, you might have to dive in a little deeper in college. Other databases such as Google Scholar, Science.gov, Easybib, and Infotopia are helpful when you need to delve into specific areas of study. For a great list of the best apps and tools for college kids, check out College Raptor.

If you’re in need of graphs or custom graphics for your research papers visit Canva, a free (and super easy, slightly addictive) graphic design tool site that’s used by many professional graphic artists. Remember too when finalizing your paper, be mindful of the citation format your professor is asking for (e.g. APA style or MLA style). Also, be sure to take advantage of citation tools offered by your college or tap into free online citation tools which can really cut down on time. For more insight into how to compile your research, check out these 15 Steps to Good Research from Georgetown University Library.

Social Skills (Approachability is the Key)

Everyone heads off to college with the expectation of branching out, meeting new friends, and having a robust social life. However, sometimes the transition from high school to college can be daunting and some kids end up finding themselves off-track socially and feeling a bit lonely.

Helpful Tip:

One of the things that can help college kids adjust to the transition socially is to get as comfortable as possible as early as possible. Visit the college in advance, get to know your roommate, and check out where your classes are and where the dining halls and hangouts are. Check into activities offered on campus and get involved early. Also, for those students who may be a bit shy, focus less on making friends and more on being approachable. Smile often, ask questions, spark casual conversations, and don’t wait for people to approach you.

Rather than striving to be the most popular person in your dorm building, strive to be a great friend to your roommate, the kids you meet in your classes, or the people in your study group. You can’t force a friendship, but you can certainly cultivate one with a little effort. For more tips, visit 10 Tips to Make Friends in College.

Public Speaking Ability (I Know, You’d Rather Be Eaten By Alligators)

If the thought of getting up in front of your class and giving a presentation scares you to death, you’re not alone. Glossophobia, also known as the fear of public speaking, is all too common affecting nearly 238 million people or upwards of 75% of the American population. In fact, an unofficial poll of college kids confirmed it. When asked how they felt about getting up in front of their class, most confessed that getting eaten by alligators sounded far more appealing.

But, the fact is, college professors are big on grooming you for the “real world” by assigning projects that require you to present in front of the class. Although it may not be an easy fear to overcome, bracing yourself for this harsh reality will, at the very least, encourage you to think about, research, and develop ways to help you become a better public speaker.

Helpful Tip:

To become a better public speaker, read up on tips and tricks used by top speakers, practice in front of a mirror, in front of friends or family, and take advantage of tried and true tactics to avoid becoming nervous before and during presentations. (A little-hidden truth: Everyone gets nervous before they speak publicly regardless of how skilled they are.)

Let’s face it, no one expects you to develop stellar public speaking skills before you step foot on campus, but if you’re tuned into the fact that you’ll eventually have to master the skill (or, at the very least be able to do it without passing out), you’ll be more inclined to pay attention to how others present themselves publicly, whether it be in person or even on television, and you may begin to pick up a few tricks before you venture off to college. For a few more tips, check out 10 Tips for Improving Your Public Speaking Skills.

College life can be exciting and liberating, but it can also be exhausting and overwhelming, especially when you’re in the adjustment phase.

Knowing what skills you’ll need to help you navigate through your college years will not only help you avoid a lot of unnecessary stress and anxiety but it will also make it far easier to blaze through those challenging days you’re bound to have.

I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it.

~ Vincent Van Gogh