In Grand Rapids, Minn., Our Community’s Children is a public and private partnership involving the city, its public schools and community members. The group recently introduced a new initiative called “To College, Through College,” which aims to increase post-secondary success for everyone, with a special focus on “first-generation college students, low-income families and African American and Hispanic populations.”

Professional guidance and community involvement will help the students in the program achieve success.

Where to seek outside help is probably one of the most important things to know while in college. Having people you can reach out to when you need help is vital in general, but especially so when you’re in school.

Programs like these often can help students learn to manage their time and develop good skills and healthy habits. It’s beneficial to get outside help for college, but often times it ultimately comes down on you when it comes to your success.

When you’re applying for colleges or seeking advice in high school about what to do in your first year of college, you’re filled with various pieces of advice and tips. People advise you to “get to know your professors,” “join clubs to make friends,” or “make sure to have a healthy diet.”

All of these are good to keep in mind. However, for me, it was still stressful to remember all of these tips and implement them.

I believe the most important thing to remember is to manage your time effectively and efficiently. If you can’t do this, you won’t be able to join student groups, do well on homework assignments or meet with professors.

Managing your time, in my opinion, is the key to success in college and the most important skill to develop. Without proper time management skills, life is just too chaotic to be productive.