I graduated college over five years ago now. I had a great college experience and even though my mother told me to enjoy it because it would be over quickly, I didn't believe her. But, of course, she was right. Knowing what I know now, here's what I wish I had known a decade ago when I started college.
Most People Don't Know Their Major or Will Change it
When I started college, I had no idea what I wanted to do. Everyone else seemed like they knew exactly what they wanted, but they were bluffing too I liked art, writing and architecture, so I took extra classes in those areas. I ended up hating journalism, found out it took decades to become a real architect, and I really, really, really love art. I did get an associates degree in interior design and drafting because I thought I would enjoy that, but I realized that the part I enjoyed was designing, not working with customers. It wasn't until I was in my second to last semester of community college that I decided to major in art. I know very few people who knew exactly what they wanted when they were 18 and stuck to it.
Community College is Great
When high school graduation was coming up, everyone was talking about where they were going to go to college and a girl I knew started bashing community college saying that she rather not go to college at all than have to go to the local community college. She made me feel ashamed for going there. In retrospect, she was a huge b**** because she said that loudly in front of several of us who she knew were going to community college after high school. Years later, I found out that she had failed out of the university that she just had to go to and ended up at community college anyways.
In fact, a lot of kids I graduated with didn't make it when they went away to college in their freshman year. They got caught up partying and literally failed their classes or they realized that being away from friends and family was too hard while they were trying to learn to be adults. Or they just hated the college they chose and decided to go somewhere else.
By the time I was finishing my two years at community college, I knew exactly what I wanted to major in, I had learned how college works and how to manage my own life, and I knew where I wanted to go because I had feedback from all my friends who were at various universities. When I transferred, I knew exactly what to do and I didn't waste a ton of money getting my general ed done.
Working Hard = Good Grades
I thought college would be really hard. In some ways, it was hard, but I always finished every project to the best of my abilities and I got good grades. Actually, I had a 4.0 gpa until my last semester of college. I didn't have a 4.0 in high school. I didn't consider myself to be particularly smart, I just did all my work. I studied for tests. I researched for papers. I did the best I could and that was good enough to always get an A in the class. So, if you just do your best, you can do really well. Because once you graduate, a 3.5 gpa is not impressive in a job interview, but a 4.0 is something potential employers will bring up.
Counselors Can Help, but You Should Be Informed
I got a lot of help from college counselors, but they don't always know everything and they don't always get it right every time. Understanding what you want and how to get there is important to getting the most out of college or getting done quickly if that's your goal. Learn what you need to do to transfer to the college you want or get your degree quickly. Sometimes taking two or three extra classes can get you a minor that you might enjoy and help you get a job after graduation.
Take Fun Classes While You Can
When you first start going to college, you can be too focused on just taking classes that will help you get the major you think you want, but at this point, you might have the flexibility to take classes that you will enjoy and you may end up wanting to change your major because you enjoy it so much.
Schedule Your Classes Well
Start with a few classes that you know you have to take and fill in the rest of your schedule with classes that will work with the time slots you have left and need to take to fulfill requirements. If you're not a morning person avoid 8a.m. classes. If you like having evenings free, avoid night classes. If you don't mind two really full days, you could have two days of classes a week and use the other days to work on homework.
Do What You Love
You will spend what feels like most of the rest of your life working. Do what you love and your life will be awesome. Many people pick majors that they think will make them a lot of money, but if you don't enjoy it, what's the point? Money won't bring you happiness, but if you love what you do, you will work harder just because you enjoy it. And working harder will usually bring you more money. I majored in art knowing that I wouldn't make much money, but I love what I do and I wouldn't trade it for any amount of money.
You Should Take the Max Units Every Semester
If you want to graduate in four years, or anywhere close, you should take the max number of units allowed, usually 18. Unless you are also working, this should be a doable workload. It's about 5 or six classes per semester. It will take more effort and organization, but it's worth it. Make sure they're not all hard classes at once. Even it out with an equal mix of academic and easier classes.
College is Really Fun
I graduated over five years ago now and I miss college. It was fun. I enjoyed learning. Being an art major, I loved having dedicated hours to paint. I didn't appreciate having Fridays and Summers off, but I should have. Once you start a full-time job, that all goes away. Enjoy getting to learn new things and study whatever you want while you can. Enjoy days hanging out with friends because you all have a day without classes.
I'd love to hear what you think about going to college! Share in the comments below. What do you wish you had known?
