With college starting up again and college freshmen getting acclimated to their new schools, MONEY staffers thought the time was right to pass along some advice based on their experiences at school. So we rounded up a bunch of (mostly) young staffers with fresh memories of the right and wrong choices they made on campus. Here’s a sample of some of the good advice in this video:
Make friends Join clubs to meet people. Talk to them in the cafeteria and on the way to class. Or just strike up a conversation with someone who is standing in line with you. Meeting people and making friends won’t ever be easier. Go to class – Again…a no brainier, but not attending class is an easy habit to slip into.
You can learn anywhere Not all learning takes place in the classroom. Study abroad, go to lectures or documentary viewings and stick around for the discussion afterward, and try an internship or three. Talk to your roommate before you get to school .
In academics, “Don’t sweat the grades. If you put in an honest, diligent effort and are truly engaged in your work, then you’ll be fine. If studying a certain subject is like pulling teeth or is the last thing you want to do, then something’s wrong. If this subject is your major, then something is very wrong.” “Get to know your professors. It’s not high school anymore. Your classes can be 300+ and your professors will not come to you; you must come to them. Get to know them because they are your most valuable resources for academics and for extracurricular professional opportunities.” “Don’t depend on the teacher to remind you about due dates.”“Follow of the honor code cheating is not worth it!”
“Take different classes. Even if you know what you want to major in, most students end up changing their major sometime during their college careers. Learn new things and open yourself up to a whole new future.” “Don’t be afraid to ask questions especially in class or afterwards. No college professor is going to turn you away. He/she may not have the time to lead you through the problem, but they can, and most of the time will, lead you in the right direction.”
“Don’t be afraid to take challenging, upper level courses. What’s important is one-on-one contact with a teacher and highly motivated students, something you’ll only get in smaller classes. This means getting over the fear of looking ignorant and realizing that everyone’s a novice at some point.”
“Even if you really miss your home or your parents want you to come back, don’t do it until it has been at least a month since you were in college. The people who leave before then never feel like they have a foothold on college life, and end up leaving.”
“Splurge on organizing materials for your dorm, for your backpack, for all your papers. This is the most important thing you can do in order to preserve sanity as you find your free time slowly slipping away.” “Make friends with an older student who has already been through freshman year and can help make your first year easier.”
Make friends Join clubs to meet people. Talk to them in the cafeteria and on the way to class. Or just strike up a conversation with someone who is standing in line with you. Meeting people and making friends won’t ever be easier. Go to class – Again…a no brainier, but not attending class is an easy habit to slip into.
You can learn anywhere Not all learning takes place in the classroom. Study abroad, go to lectures or documentary viewings and stick around for the discussion afterward, and try an internship or three. Talk to your roommate before you get to school .
In academics, “Don’t sweat the grades. If you put in an honest, diligent effort and are truly engaged in your work, then you’ll be fine. If studying a certain subject is like pulling teeth or is the last thing you want to do, then something’s wrong. If this subject is your major, then something is very wrong.” “Get to know your professors. It’s not high school anymore. Your classes can be 300+ and your professors will not come to you; you must come to them. Get to know them because they are your most valuable resources for academics and for extracurricular professional opportunities.” “Don’t depend on the teacher to remind you about due dates.”“Follow of the honor code cheating is not worth it!”
“Take different classes. Even if you know what you want to major in, most students end up changing their major sometime during their college careers. Learn new things and open yourself up to a whole new future.” “Don’t be afraid to ask questions especially in class or afterwards. No college professor is going to turn you away. He/she may not have the time to lead you through the problem, but they can, and most of the time will, lead you in the right direction.”
“Don’t be afraid to take challenging, upper level courses. What’s important is one-on-one contact with a teacher and highly motivated students, something you’ll only get in smaller classes. This means getting over the fear of looking ignorant and realizing that everyone’s a novice at some point.”
“Even if you really miss your home or your parents want you to come back, don’t do it until it has been at least a month since you were in college. The people who leave before then never feel like they have a foothold on college life, and end up leaving.”
“Splurge on organizing materials for your dorm, for your backpack, for all your papers. This is the most important thing you can do in order to preserve sanity as you find your free time slowly slipping away.” “Make friends with an older student who has already been through freshman year and can help make your first year easier.”
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