Unsolicited Advice For College Students
College is an incredible time for growth and learning. Many people enjoy some of the best years of their life during their college experience. There are few other times when you’re in an environment created for personal and professional growth with hundreds of resources at your disposal.
However, college benefits aren’t magically bestowed to students without challenges and struggles along the way. Often, overcoming the challenges college throws at you is what prompts actual growth and learning.
Although some struggles will be necessary for an authentic college experience, I’d like to think there are a lot of challenges that can be avoided altogether with just a bit more awareness. Below are ten lessons I learned in my five years at Arizona State that allowed me to thrive as a student.
Sign Up For Newsletters
Newsletters are the best way to learn about volunteer opportunities, internship openings, conferences, and professional development opportunities with minimal effort. Temptation will whisper in your ear, telling you to unsubscribe. But I urge you to take 10 minutes daily to read through them, and you’ll be better off for it.
By simply subscribing to newsletters, I was able to travel the world on my college’s dime during my undergraduate career here. Read about it here.
Check Email Regularly
The best way to stay up to date on all of your classes is to create a digital routine. Too often was a deadline changed via email or a time-sensitive opportunity missed out on because I went days without checking my email.
Whatever Learning Management Software your university uses (Blackboard, Canvas, etc.), ensure you’ve signed up for email updates to centralize your communications.
Travel With Friends
My first year of college was such a memorable time for me because I was experiencing so many new things for the first time with other people.
Traveling with friends was a way to continually experience new things alongside others as I progressed through university. It gave me some of my most cherished moments from college.
It’s also a great bonding experience and a way to make lasting memories with friends beyond just drinking in the dorms or going out to the same bars.
Spend Time Alone
Too many students fail to exercise intentionality as they move through college and constantly surround themselves with others and fill their schedules with social and professional events — leaving no time to spend alone with themselves.
College is an incredibly influential time in your life; learn to spend time alone — reflecting and checking in with yourself is important in making the most of the experience.
Track Everything
Keep a digital folder for all your classes and assignments. If you land an internship, keep track of all the projects you complete.
When applying for jobs or master’s programs, all your essays, group projects, case studies, internship projects, and relevant notes will be in one easily accessible place. Being proactive and keeping track will make your life so much more pleasant, I promise you.
Take the extra few seconds to stay digitally organized and save yourself the burden of searching years back for examples of work.
Get Involved
Cliche, I know, but it’s a cliche for a reason.
Attending a traditional four-year college comes at a cost. Essentially, you’re paying for the experience, so make the most of it. Join clubs, join lots of clubs. Meet unique people. Take challenging classes. Become a TA or even present at a conference.
No downside, all upside.
Take Classes Outside of Your School
One of the best things I did as a business school student was adding a design studies minor. I got a more diverse network of professors and peers and stood out against my fellow business school peers. My presentations were more aesthetically pleasing, and I learned how to communicate business ideas to individuals working in other industries.
If you have the ability (time and financial cost associated), I highly recommend taking courses outside your primary school. Or take it a step further and add an entire minor in a separate field.
The key is, communicating to others how the two seemingly unrelated areas of study intersect. If you can do that in a memorable way, you’re golden.
Stay Active and Get Proper Sleep
Everyone hears about the freshman fifteen, which proves real for many incoming first-year students. However, my argument for staying active has nothing to do with aesthetics. College is a stressful time full of change and challenge. Maintaining a healthy mind and body allows you to overcome college’s challenges and, as a result, learn and perform better.
Furthermore, it’s vital to get your sleep. It’s easy to slip up on, but lack of sleep can be disastrous. You won’t be perfect but make getting good sleep a priority.
Commit to Personal Growth
Many spend four years and thousands of dollars on a college education with only a slip of paper and an entry-level job to show for it.
You might argue that’s the point of college.
I’d rebuttal that there are multiple ways to land an entry-level job. College is a unique environment where you’re surrounded by thousands of other students experiencing similar changes and struggles. It’d be a shame to learn nothing about yourself or grow personally in such a rich and diverse setting.
Get to Know Your Universities Resources
Every university offers a plethora of resources to students. Resume workshops, internship fairs, subsidized travel to professional conferences, free masters entrance exam materials, free counseling, and discounted health check-ups. The list could go on and on — especially if you attend a large public university as I did.
It may seem cheesy or pointless but spending time, especially early in your college career, learning about the resources your campus offers will pay tenfold. Often you’re paying for all these resources in your tuition and don’t even know it. Get the most value for your money!
I hope some of these tips were helpful and encouraged you to approach your college experience intentionally. Thank you for taking the time to read. If you want to learn more about maximizing the college experience, hit the follow button below!
