After a semester at college I can say that it has been a lot of fun, but there were a few things I would have liked to know. So, instead of yelling, I am going to write this to help future students understand.
So, first off there are a lot of good things, the classes for your major are really fun and many non-major classes can be to. There are lots of social events on the weekends and who can forget the sports teams.Those games can be so much fun.
But, here come the bad.
One, if your college has a high percentage of students move off-campus after the first year, look early if that is your plan. Don't wait. Many places fill up and you will be stuck. Many parents clubs will say to wait, but if you do everything fills up and you are forced to either sign a lease at a place you didn't want or pay more money than you wanted to. Even worse, you may have to stay in the dorms another year.
Then comes internships and finding them. You apply everywhere and can't seem to get them. Yet all of your friends seem to. You then struggle to find where to apply because of your own means to get and live places. They tell you internships are available near you but when you apply, all they tell you is you are too young, you don't have experience, or we have decided to go with someone else. Yet how are we supposed to find a internship with a big company when no smaller internships are allowing us the chance to prove what we can do.
Then comes the drinking. Sure, drinking is a part of any college but what happens when you aren't a drinker and you go to the biggest drinking school in the states. Well one of two options occurs, one you compromise who you are and drink or you stay true to yourself but you don't have friends to go out with because they have all decided to drink and you don't feel comfortable caring for them the entire night.
As much fun as college is and what I think it will eventually be, I would have liked to have known these things before. Some of this could have been avoided if only I had known and if someone had the courage to tell me.