9 things I wish I knew in college
Your semester's winding down, and I don't want to freak you out, but another's on its way. Which makes it the perfect time to go through the checklist of 9 things I wish I'd known when I was an undergraduate:
1. The college triangle is a balancing act
Sleep, grades, social life. More specifically, football games, extracurricular activities, classes, downtown bar crawls, organizations, internships, keeping in touch with family, sleeping six-plus hours a night. If you've been trying to do it all, you're probably close to collapsing. So remember this one word: Balance. Choose your priorities, and aim for a happy medium.
2. There are people to reach out to
Many people at school are there for you. Faculty, administrators, student leaders, community leaders and staff are available to help you navigate the complexities of college. Use professors' office hours to get your questions answered, know who represents you on the student government. it's a great way to enrich your experience, and extend your network -- good not only for college, but when looking for work.
RELATED: Advice from an upperclassman: How to avoid typical freshmen mistakes
3. Don't care what people think of you
It's easy to get caught up in a group mentality at school; you naturally want to hang out with friends tension-free, or bond with classmates to fit in. But now's the time to voice your opinion (respectfully) and to do what you care about and love to do because it's important to you, not to anyone else. Band geeks are only in movies and philosophy majors don’t walk around campus barefoot. Shake off any thoughts of being a cliche, and make yourself happy.
4. It's good to try at least one thing out of your element
Are you still living close to home? Then think about studying abroad or spending a semester elsewhere volunteering. Only do the bare minimum to meet course requirements? Take a year of a foreign language. The point is, now's the time to try something new. Who knows when opportunities like these will come around again?
5. Everyone is trying to figure things out
It may seem like some students have their entire lives -- from their stimulating class schedules to their cool group of friends -- worked out perfectly, but it's a good bet that they don't. Life is way more complicated and nuanced than that. No one has a perfect handle on college life so don't expect to have it, either.
RELATED: 10 pieces of advice you may not hear at orientation
6. Walking the campus can be eye opening
Campus shuttles seem pretty appealing when the weather gets crappy, but walk the grounds whenever possible. Campuses are filled with historic buildings and beautiful architecture. Plus, it's a great way to to stumble onto organizations or events you might not otherwise hear about -- and the people-watching component isn't bad, either.
7. It's easy to forget you're a student
Amid your internships, jobs, leadership position, friends, activities, it's easy to forget why you're there: To be a student and to learn. Now's the time to focus on the intellectual opportunities available to you, from engaging in classroom discussions to continuing the conversation outside of classes with your peers.
8. It's important to relax
Some semesters will be busier than others and that’s alright. FOMO – fear of missing out – may be a genuine concern for some students but know that where there is one social event, there will be five more.
9. School pride isn't uncool
You made the active decision to attend the college or university in which you're enrolled. Get that extra t-shirt or college poster and don’t be afraid to represent your college or university wherever you go. Four years of college life will soon be a memory so enjoy your time while you can.
Vanessa Miller is currently working on her third degree and spends too much time wondering whether Socrates actually knew nothing.
This article comes from The Paste BN College Contributor network. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of Paste BN. You understand that we have no obligation to monitor any discussion forums, blogs, photo- or video-sharing pages, or other areas of the Site through which users can supply information or material. However, we reserve the right at all times, in our sole discretion, to screen content submitted by users and to edit, move, delete, and/or refuse to accept any content that in our judgment violates these Terms of Service or is otherwise unacceptable or inappropriate, whether for legal or other reasons.
This story originally appeared on the Paste BN College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.