I know I've been there myself .....
Your that high schooler that is crying your eyes out hysterically on the last day of school as a Senior as you tell your friends your final good byes and thinking a chapter of your life has closed and now here looms an un-certain future ahead filled with many possibilities. Or your that student that honestly says thank God I didn't have my peak in high school and good bye to all the former idiots that were my classmates and here's to a knew re-boot or re-start to whatever the heck I'm gonna land.
Or honestly none of these situations may suit you, but honestly I was the lather, I knew I was moving to a brand new state and going to a place I was not familiar with but as a hard earned college student I honestly learned from being a community college student and college grad here are some of the things I wished someone honestly told me and the others are what I kick myself in the head now and wish I've done a lot sooner than later.
1.
You can and will discover who you are in college it's a great chance to try new things and get a chance to figure out what the heck kind of person you want to be. Failure in inevitable but the success comes from learning through the struggle.
2.
Stay with parents temporarily (less than two years of your college life) Move the heck out and establish yourself. Why??? because fear is the number one procrastinator that can put an un necessary road block in your life and bring un-necessary tension with the folks your freedon, happiness, and privacy is worth a little bit of growing pains, believe me.
3.
Do not spend all your money on take-out, credit card bills, and gas.
Use the amazing system of public transportation, bus, metro, biking system, loaning friends car (only when necessary), and then use your car. Plus wasting un-neccessary money on eating out with your friends leaves a huge hole in your pocket, instead go to all the free, free, free college events that give out free food and meet people you wouldn't talk to on a regular basis. Thursday is free taco night !
Credit card's are made to put students in DEBT, period believe me don't fall for the hype a debit card is safer, plus once your tapped that's it no interest.
4. You do not have to buy that TEXT BOOK !
This is also another scam created by the text book companies to steal your hard earned college money. Borrow, copy, or rent you do not need to buy text books unless they are for your core classes or classes you struggle with. You might have to stay ahead of the class and study ahead of time, but it's worth it, plus it keeps you in track with all upcoming assignments, your professor doesn't think your a flake.
5. Get some type of Internship and Scholarship !!!!!
101 to Scholarships
Free tution is never evil in my book who want to pay Uncle Sam for a school loan anyway?
Don't be lazy it takes like three times a year to check up on annual scholarships you are qualified for and their is something for everyone, it does take persistence and being able to gain knowledge along the way as you filter out the one's that don't fit the bill.
Internships
Internships = Networking= Potential getting a full time job after college or at least being useful in the near time future of finding some type of job.
Or at the most trying new jobs you never would have experienced if it weren't for a college internship.
6. Experimenting with Fashion
Now this may depend on your university but the honest truth is depending on your job you will be pretty isolated on showing your freedom of expression or fashion once you find a suitable work place. I know many of the fun and on-trend fashion items I would like to wear on a daily basis are now saved for weekends only because in my professional job it is not appropriate. Business casual is required so enjoy the years where you wear what you want, when you want, how you want.
7. Failing a class or semester does not mean your a failure.
It happens ......
It's the semester you bunked out because you were to lazy to study and spent all your time hitting the parties, Mario Party with your friends, and the clubs on the weekend. Or you burnt yourself out between a part/ full time job while trying to go to school with 12 + credits (only for the weary or those with true grit). Or you signed up for a class that you knew you weren't ready for too fast paced or in depth, or honestly you really had a sucky sucky teacher who didn't connect with the way you learned. Get over the failure, determine the reason behind the failure, and focus on your strengths and what you need to improve. In these situations I offer three solutions.
1. Be honest with the parents as soon as possible.
2. Either take the class again with the same professor, and grab the notes from someone who made an A+ in the class and make comparisons with your notes, go to tutoring, or find an even better professor with better reviews.
8. Ask other students about everything .....
Teachers, school perks, all kinds of random stuff but make sure you ask a diverse group of people and do your homework cuz some people have no idea what there talking about.
9. Go to your Student Counselor three times a year at the most
To figure out your classes
How you can speed up or adjust your class load and graduation date
If your really want to stick with the first degree you decided on
New ways to find programs, internships, and scholarships related to your degree
10. Join a fraternity, group of peers or make friends.
Being alone in college sucks make friends people you need peers to have fun with, relax with, motivate yourself personally and academically, and over all make friends who may be friends you can have for a lifetime.
11. Be careful of the institution you call home do your homework before deciding to where you want to commit your home to make your alma mater.
12. Get a Job period .... even if it's periodically. temporarily, or in gaps through out your college career.
13. IF your going to do it at all...... GRADUATE people !
Come on make your parents proud, make yourself feel accomplished, and add another knotch to your belt on the road trip call life.
So that's what I wish people would have told me before I took the road of the college career path if you have any questions feel free to leave some down on the comments below or send it to me through my new upcoming you-tube channel which is currently under construction.
That's it folks XXX
Classy Candy Cotoure
