The goal in life for everyone is to be successful. In order to do this, we supposedly have to become rich and live in a nice house with nice cars and clothes to attain the movie star lifestyle. To have this rich life, we are told the way to do that is to go to college, get a degree in something that will make us wealthy, study very hard, get good grades and then pursue that career. What a fun way to "live" during college.
That's not really living though. That is a routine. Yes, studying is important because you learn, but college has a lot more lessons than the ones in the classroom. Being at a university is much more than a way to become rich and get a marvelous job. Studying should be on the list of priorities, but it should not be your number one. College should be about creating memories and living the college experience.
Enjoy every moment in college and do not take any of it for granted. Go out and embrace the area and the people. Take every opportunity you can, especially the stupid ones because, in 10 years you can share those stupid times rather than the ones about how you studied. That is way too boring. You might as well be a recluse and just live in a cave where the only light is your computer.
I'm not saying don't study, but don’t make it a priority. For those incoming freshmen or those who are still grasping the idea of college, the best way to act is outgoing and as a risk-taker. College is the time to make new friends and new stories. Do not be afraid to take risks. Skip a class or two, stay up too late hanging out with your friends and doing all sorts of shenanigans and don’t be afraid to do anything spontaneous. The most fun can be what you don't plan because not knowing what can happen means anything can happen. If you hold back on something simply because you are scared of what may happen then there is a good chance you are missing out on what could be a great time or story.
Have fun in college! People can become so concerned with how well they do academically that they forget to have a good time. Relax and step back from the stresses. Go meet up with friends do something fun and live in the moment. Forget about what's bothering you and enjoy yourself. While the term YOLO is kinda dumb, it is a mindset college students should have at one time or another. Doing something just for the hell of it can help clear your head and make college an experience and not an unpaid job.
The most important take away from this advice is what you learn from everything that happens to you, good or bad. College teaches discipline by making you get assignments in on time without anyone around to nag you to get them done. You mature tremendously during freshmen year. Being in charge of everything, including yourself, is a scary concept at first, but the moment you are at home and cannot make your own decisions, you will miss the freedom of school.
Learning to be independent and problem solve also prepares for after college when you are officially grown up and cannot rely on Mom and Dad's help. Moving into an apartment, paying rent, deciding how much to spend on food and other treats becomes a daily task and without prior experience in college it could be hard to adjust to it all.
Communication is also a huge part of college life. Having to correspond with professors, the school and others sets you up for success. Being able to communicate properly with others is important because it not only influences your social life, but your future too. Explaining situations and instructions clearly and effectively is the foundation for accomplishing anything quickly and efficiently. Businesses and organizations look for people who can communicate well to help improve their company. Additionally, no matter where the future takes you, there will be people that are very difficult to deal with. Being able to converse with them is key for both parties. Doors also open by creating relationships and connections. Knowing people, can help your future career and life become amazing.
The biggest lesson to learn from college: it's alright to make mistakes. People constantly stress over every little problem making their lives miserable. They are afraid that if one bad event happens, their life is over. This mindset reverberates throughout how they present themselves. Individuals become so scared about making mistakes they do not try something new or hard simply because they do not want to fail. Failure is inevitable so get used to it. Not everything will go how it is "supposed" to. It may feel horrible at first, but all you can do is learn from your mistakes and move on.
You may even fail at your relationships, not just romantic ones but platonic. Don't be afraid to ask out a girl or guy, even if they say no, at least you tried and went our of your comfort zone. The best result from this is that you gain courage and are more confident for next time. College is all about failing and realizing that failures can turn into successes. This is what makes you a better student and person afterwards. If you are able to go into college looking to make mistakes and learn from them, you will already be a step ahead of most people.
You cannot run from mistakes because they are unavoidable, no matter how big or small. Fearing them is pointless, just sit in your room all day doing nothing if you are that afraid and watch the rest of us have fun. Life would be boring and you would have nothing to share with others. Sometimes mistakes can be the best stories. They make for great memories — even ones you do not remember and have to have others share with you the next day.
In the end, you want to leave college thinking, how lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard. If you can think this then college will be a success for you. Every experience you have is good because you learn from it. Push yourself to be outgoing and don't be afraid of what may go wrong and focus on what can go right. Work hard, and play harder, because at the end of the day, when you look back at all your memories, the ones that you want to stick out are not those at your desk, but the ones of you smiling and making the most out of everything college throws at you. Take on college for what it's about, living every day like you are going to graduate tomorrow. Four years goes by fast and you do not want to miss anything good.
