College Advice For A Soon To Be College Student

It seems like everybody has some advice for you as you’re gearing up to head off to College. You’ve probably already had everyone from your parents, to your older siblings, to an old teacher or your pastor, give you a myriad of advice and you’re about to click out of this article because you can’t handle any more of it. They’ve probably said things like, “Remember where you come from,” and “Go to class,” and “make sure you choose your major wisely,” and who knows what else. But, before you click out because you’re so over all of the advice, know that the advice I’m going to give you is personal, heartfelt, and relevant to you no matter who you are.

1. Be Confident At School

The number 1 piece of advice I can give you is BE CONFIDENT. Ok, sure, this seems pretty obvious, and I know, it’s much easier said than done. Confidence in yourself, across the board, takes practice, no matter who you are. I thought I was pretty confident in high school, I thought I had that little key to life on lock, but I learned that my confidence wasn’t complete. I was confident in certain ways and with certain things about myself, but not with others. Everyone is somewhere on that scale, doesn’t matter if you were the QB1, coolest kid in school, or if you got bullied and hated everyone except for your couple of friends. High school is weird, cruel, and uses to small of a sample size of people to be a good simulation of real life. In College, especially if you’re attending a large University, much like in real life, there will be people that you get along with, people that you don’t, people that have what you want, people that want what you have, people that are better than you at some things, and worse than you at some things, but they’re all people, trying to figure out their path, just like you. So, know that everyone is right there with you, and all you can do is be confident in yourself and your decisions. That is the quickest way to find happiness, in College and beyond it.

2. Know What You From College

This sort of ties in with number 1, but College is an important time in YOUR life to figure out what YOU want out of it. What do I mean by that? Well, A) don’t worry about other people. You’ll make some friends, maybe some enemies, but who cares! Life’s no fun without a few enemies anyways. And B) don’t come into college with baggage, or rigid plans and expectations. Don’t try to hold onto that long-distance relationship with your high-school boyfriend/girlfriend, it’s not worth it! Plus, you’ll miss out on opportunities to meet new people and have new experiences. The more open you are to trying new things and meeting new people, the easier it will be for you to figure out what you like and dislike, who you want to associate yourself with and who you don’t, and hopefully, what you want in life and what you don’t.

3. Your College Major May Not Matter

Your major does NOT matter, but your GPA does. You’ve maybe heard this advice before, and I can attest to you that it’s true. One of the biggest lies I’ve ever heard is that your major is, and always is, the first stepping stone in your career. It can be if you really know what you want to be or do, but chances are, you don’t. What’s more important than picking your major carefully, is using your time in College to meet people and make connections. Make a lot of friends, utilize your school’s networks such as groups, clubs, and their alumni network, and meet as many people as you can. The more people you meet, the higher chance you have to meet someone that can hire you, your future business partner, future spouse, and so many other things. Yes, your GPA matters because it will come up in your interviews after you graduate, and it is a testament to your work ethic, but that old saying is true, “It’s not WHAT you know, it’s WHO you know.”

I hope this advice helps you crush College and become the best version of yourself. Go get ‘em.