Important Things to do While in College

You know what the normal college experience is, right? It’s partying, having fun, staying up all hours of the night and eating (and drinking) whatever you want… right? Well, that may be true for some, but for others the perfect college experience involves much more than that. To get the most out of your educational experience, my best advice is to study hard and try to learn as much as possible! If your grades are good enough you can be invited to join honor societies (do some research to make sure they are legitimate honor societies and not just a group trying to take your money), you could be added to the Dean’s List (which looks fantastic on your resume) and could end up graduating with honors (which also looks great on your resume)! These things may seem nerdy or boring now, but once you’re done with college and are looking back on the experience you’ll be glad you have something to brag about to your friends and family. And if you do it right, all of that studying will really help to prepare you for your future career!

Ok, ok, back to the other important things to do while in college- Network! College is a great time to meet friends and future colleagues! So be social and network as much as you can. This will also help you to land a job in the future!

Joining clubs is another way to help you network! Clubs are great ways to meet people with similar interests to your own and can help you make lifelong friends.

Use campus resources! The library is a great place to study, to get articles for papers, and to get a bigger selection than is (usually) available in the school’s online library. Definitely check out everything your library has to offer! Most campuses have mental health clinics available for free for students. Being an adult with bills, families, and other outside matters, going to school can be difficult. These mental health clinics are great at helping people when they are feeling overwhelmed by life. Don’t hesitate to check this service out!! That is what they are there for. Writing centers and math labs are available on almost all college campuses. These resources are fantastic for making sure that you are doing your assignments correctly and for getting extra help when you need it. Sometimes you just want someone to look over your stuff and make sure you’ve done it correctly- they are always happy to help! My last bit of advice is to use your professor’s office hours! Too many students struggle in class and yet don’t take the time to see the professor until the very end of the semester! At that point it is too late for your professor to help you. They want to know that you have been working your hardest all semester and the best way to do that is to visit them during their office hours- it’s what they are scheduled for. Professors love to know that their students are trying hard and at the end of the semester, if they know that you have been coming to them for help all semester, they will be much more likely to push that 79 to an 80, 89 to a 90, etc. Your professors can do a lot to help you out but they want to know you’re doing everything you can to help yourself out too.

Listen to and learn from people with viewpoints that differ from your own. Gasp! Did she really just say that?! Yes, I said it! One of the most amazing opportunities available on college campuses around the nation are the opportunities to talk to diverse people (including politically diverse people!* Double gasp!!*). Get out of your comfort bubble! Find out why you hold the views that you do and see if maybe diverse opinions make you stop and reconsider your own viewpoints. College is a great time to learn a lot- not just in the classroom, but about yourself and the world around you! So talk to people. Be open to others. You might find that the world looks a little differently to you than it did before!

If you’re given the opportunity to study abroad and can afford to do so, do it! It is great to learn about the world by going out and living in it! Studying abroad is an amazing opportunity too few college students take advantage of. If you have the chance to go somewhere awesome, especially if it is related to your field of study, and you have the financial means to make it happen then don’t hold yourself back! You’ll surely regret it later in life. As I write this I am reminded about the opportunity that was afforded to the members of the French Club at my high school, of which I was a member. My mom went back to college while I was in high school so funds were a bit short and it wasn’t an option for me, but I remember being so jealous hearing the stories of my fellow French Club-ers when they got back from the field trip. They had the most amazing time! I wish I had been able to take that opportunity when it was available. I still think about it and it has been, oh gosh, 15 years now?! Wow, it certainly doesn’t feel like 15 years! Anyway, I am getting off track.

As you can see, there are a lot of things that are important to take part of during your college experience to help you make the most of it! Figure out what works for you and get after it!

If you’d like to see these in list form, here you go!

Things to do while in college:

• Study hard! Learn as much as you can!
  • Accept invitations to (legit) honor societies
  • Get on Dean’s List
• Network!
• Join Clubs
• Use campus resources!
  • Use Library
  • Use student mental health clinics
  • Writing Centers
  • Math Labs
  • Office hours!!!!
• Listen to/learn from people with diverse viewpoints (I promise it won’t kill you and you might actually learn something!)

And as always, leave me a comment below if you have any suggestions for future blog posts! I’ll be happy to oblige. Take care of yourselves!