What College Has Taught Me | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

What College Has Taught Me

The important skills I learned that weren't in the textbook.

17
What College Has Taught Me
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

In This Article:

In the process of applying for internships, I have been forced to look closely at the skills that I have. I realized that most of what I have learned at college isn't the stuff that's in my exams. It's not what I read in the textbooks or learns from the lectures-- it's all the little things that I often overlook. Sometimes, I feel like everything I have learned has been useless, but I am really just forgetting about the parts that have overall made me a more marketable person.

1. Public Speaking

I was never good at public speaking. I used to always get so nervous when I would have to do a presentation in class in high school. However, presentations are often a big part of courses at college. Although the professors mostly grade on the content of the speech, being able to put together and deliver a presentation is such a great skill that I have learned.

2. Writing

Although I haven't taken any English classes at school, at least half of my classes involve writing a lot of papers. Through this practice, I feel that I have become a stronger writer, which is also important in the professional world.

3. Typing

Typing is definitely a skill that is often overlooked. However, being able to type fast can come in handy. In fact, I was recently asked on an internship how many WPM (words per minute) I can type. This is something I have to do in class every day - especially when the professor moves through the slides quickly and I have to take my notes very fast. As a result, the college has indirectly improved my typing abilities.

4. Emails

The main form of professional correspondence used these days is emailing. I send out many on a regular basis to various professors and faculty members. Being able to construct a formal, clear, and concise email is something that I have learned how to do during my time as a college student.

5. Time Management

Time management is an important life skill in general but is also very helpful when it comes to careers. Staying organized and planning out your time well is something I had to learn very quickly in order to balance school, extracurriculars, and social activities.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
ross geller
YouTube

As college students, we are all familiar with the horror show that is course registration week. Whether you are an incoming freshman or selecting classes for your last semester, I am certain that you can relate to how traumatic this can be.

1. When course schedules are released and you have a conflict between two required classes.

Bonus points if it is more than two.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

12 Things I Learned my Freshmen Year of College

When your capability of "adulting" is put to the test

2122
friends

Whether you're commuting or dorming, your first year of college is a huge adjustment. The transition from living with parents to being on my own was an experience I couldn't have even imagined- both a good and a bad thing. Here's a personal archive of a few of the things I learned after going away for the first time.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

Economic Benefits of Higher Wages

Nobody deserves to be living in poverty.

301427
Illistrated image of people crowded with banners to support a cause
StableDiffusion

Raising the minimum wage to a livable wage would not only benefit workers and their families, it would also have positive impacts on the economy and society. Studies have shown that by increasing the minimum wage, poverty and inequality can be reduced by enabling workers to meet their basic needs and reducing income disparities.

I come from a low-income family. A family, like many others in the United States, which has lived paycheck to paycheck. My family and other families in my community have been trying to make ends meet by living on the minimum wage. We are proof that it doesn't work.

Keep Reading...Show less
blank paper
Allena Tapia

As an English Major in college, I have a lot of writing and especially creative writing pieces that I work on throughout the semester and sometimes, I'll find it hard to get the motivation to type a few pages and the thought process that goes behind it. These are eleven thoughts that I have as a writer while writing my stories.

Keep Reading...Show less
April Ludgate

Every college student knows and understands the struggle of forcing themselves to continue to care about school. Between the piles of homework, the hours of studying and the painfully long lectures, the desire to dropout is something that is constantly weighing on each and every one of us, but the glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel helps to keep us motivated. While we are somehow managing to stay enrolled and (semi) alert, that does not mean that our inner-demons aren't telling us otherwise, and who is better to explain inner-demons than the beloved April Ludgate herself? Because of her dark-spirit and lack of filter, April has successfully been able to describe the emotional roller-coaster that is college on at least 13 different occasions and here they are.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments