Since it’s been a few years since we’ve been in college, we’ve collected words of wisdom from former students about what they think is important. Some of these items are big, others small, but they’re all meant to help you see what it’s like.
Here’s what they offer . . .
“Location of the school might seem superfi cial, but area/ weather/and ease with which students can get to a city really are important factors. For example, I know people who thought they could handle cloudiness but just can’t.”
“Don’t go to school while you have a serious boyfriend/ girlfriend far away. The only people I know that are homesick or miserable here left a boyfriend/girlfriend at home or at another school. Seriously, it sounds harsh, but it really hinders your friend-making abilities when you’re always missing someone.”
“If you’re not sure what you want to study, you might want a bigger university instead of a liberal arts college. No one ever told me that, but at a lot of the schools I looked at, there weren’t great communications or sociology programs, which I’ve become interested in now.”
—Madeline, University of Southern California
“Be patient when you get to college. Because everyone is living in the same area, college life tends to move very quickly, and you can easily feel as though you are behind. It may take a few months for your life to fall into place, but if you are patient and willing to try new things (take classes in new disciplines, join an extracurricular activity) you will fi nd your niche. And once you fi nd your group, remember to slow down every once in a while!”
—Elena, Harvard
“You’ll meet more people if you don’t live with a close friend from high school, but sometimes it’s just great to be with people you know well and trust. So, I’d say that if you do decide to room with a good buddy, be aware that you’ll have to make more of an effort to meet new people.”
“Join clubs early. Time management goes better when you have a lot to do.”
—Steven, NYU
“If you’re an only child, remember to remain fl exible. You’ll have some adjusting to do when you have to share your living space.”
“Go somewhere you can shine.”
—Anne, UVA
“College classes are different from high school. There are only a few grades, so you need to keep up with your reading and attend class, even though nobody is taking attendance!”
“Take classes outside your major.”
“Get to know your professors—it’ll help you do well in school!”
“Go abroad.”
—Natalie, Colorado University
“The best thing that could prepare a person for college, more than just a few lines of advice, is a simple understanding of how college functions. I don’t think I ever really comprehended that being prepared for college mostly entailed structure: in my work, in my room, in my socializing, and in my whole life. I fi nd that what I really pursue now that I am at Stanford is efficiency. I feel that I need to fi nish a huge pile of work as quickly as possible so that I can make time for other things. I feel that I need to compartmentalize my life. While this might sound like a drag, it’s definitely worth the effort. Wherever this craving for efficiency comes
from (maybe a worry that college will be over before I get a chance to do everything I want to?), I wish that I’d recognized this necessity the fi rst day I arrived on campus.”
—Joe, Stanford
“Don’t be afraid to use all the resources available to you—such as tutors, for example. Kids who were at the top of their class in high school might feel bashful about getting help in college, and they shouldn’t.”
—Brianna, Washington University
“Match the location of the school according to your personality. For example, think whether you’d enjoy having a whole city available to you or if you’d prefer a more rural college where campus life focuses on frat parties.”
“No matter how diffi cult your roommate is, make him think you like him while you’re plotting your escape. Most housing forms have stupid questions, but write your sleeping hours, and try to make sure someone pays attention.”
“It’s good to have a friend from home at your college. That person won’t keep you from meeting new people and having your own experiences, and there are lots of times when she/he can be a real comfort as you navigate a new world.”
—Alex, Fordham
“Coming from a small, private high school, I was used to having close contact with my teachers and really becoming friends with them. I was surprised that this was not the norm at Dartmouth. My advice would be to be assertive in getting to know your professors—you’ll have to go to them, because they won’t be coming to you in the same way they did in high school. You’ll want to form these relationships, but you’ll have to make it happen.”
—Lauren, Dartmouth
“Go to college with a mind open to all sorts of things. You should have some goals connected with what you’d like to accomplish, but be flexible. Also, be ready to make friends with people you might not immediately identify as ‘your type.’”
—Blaine, George Washington
“I found that college was a balance of activities, schoolwork, and socializing, and if I were starting over again, I would like to have participated in more of the activist groups on campus. It is incredibly hard to be involved in even one or two worthwhile activities while still getting what you want from classes and having time for friends, but I eventually figured out how to do it. It’s tricky to advise people about this, though, since it’s very easy to become so over-programmed that you end up doing everything poorly. Finding the right balance is the ticket!”
—Ben, Stanford
Read More : How to succeed in college: tips from former students
