| This is the building that I practically live in during school. |
Today is the start of Fall Welcome at Western Michigan University. Campus is flooded with freshmen and their parents, getting everybody moved into the dorms. I’m a senior (halfway super-senior? It’s complicated) and I feel like that gives me some authority to give advice to college freshmen about how to excel in college.
- Talk to new people. Everyone around you knows something that you don’t know. If you don’t talk to them, you’ll never learn. Also, face-to-face communication is an important skill, and this is a good time to practice, when the stakes are low. Go to guest lectures and talk to the presenter and the people around you – this is a good way to meet interesting people who like the same things you do.
- Find out how much your tuition is for the semester. Divide that by the number of classes you’re taking. Divide that by the number of weeks in the semester. Divide that by the number of times your class meets every week. For me, this number is $48. That’s how much money I am throwing away if I skip class. I’m paying in-state tuition at a state school, so for many other schools, this number is higher. Consider this every morning when your bed is warm and there is a foot of snow on the ground and an economics lecture that you don’t want to go to.
- Get enough sleep. If you have class at eight, be in bed by 11. Yes, it feels like you are being boring, but you will be so much more functional in class if you have enough sleep.
- Get a job. On-campus jobs are great because they’re convinent and they have rules against scheduling you to work while you’re in class. My freshman year of college, I worked six and a half hours a week in the back of the library, cataloging new books. I made a little bit of money, which helped. When I was trying to get other jobs later on, it helped to have work experience. If you’re not working, you probably have at least 10 hours a week that you’re spending playing video games or on tumblr. Instead, use that time for something productive.
- Be frugal. Unless you are made of money or have mad scholarships, you are probably taking out loans to go to college. Tens of thousands of dollars seems so abstract right now, but it will feel very real when you are sending Sallie Mae $400 a month out of your measly salary when you are 23. Don’t borrow more than you need, keep your expenses low.
- Get involved, but not too involved. Pick two organizations that you’re passionate about, be active in them. Look to the people in leadership roles for advice. When you’re a junior, get into those leadership roles. For me, those organizations are the Western Herald and Wesley. Now, as a senior, I am the editor-in-chief of the Western Herald, and on staff at Wesley.
- Ask questions. During class, of yourself, of your worldview. Don’t stop asking questions. Don’t get too comfortable.
- Try to get an internship early. Don’t be one of those people who thinks “oh, maybe I should consider doing an internship” in the middle of your senior year. Seek out a wide variety of experiences – they will help you learn about the things you like and don’t like, and connect with people who are doing what you are interested in.