What do you wish you knew BEFORE you started college?

Question

WHat are some of the things you wished you knew before you started college?

It could be anything about college...I'm hoping your insight will add to a better choice on my part---thankyou

Answer 1

WOW what an awesome question. Smart girl!
There is a lot.
For my major premed/ molecular biology:
I wish I knew to get involved with the profs. doing the best research and most publications. You can get credit working in their labs and get your name published. You learn "real" skills and are in great standings for a PhD.or MD program in a Ivy league school. Better job offers etc. Pay attention and get involved more for experience than credits. If you do it just for credit and not know what ur doing it is a huge disadvantage. Also, think about your pipe dreams. I used to think (for example) careers in the CIA or other agencies were unrealistic. The truth is almost any field can be used. If you throw it away for some hard core partying, (drug use or trouble with law) you are pretty much screwed. It wasn't worth it. I know people that could have had exactly what they wanted and were perfect for it. They could have been there if they hadn't traded thier future for some recreational weekend fun. Try answering a CIA operative during a polygragh. Talk about stress. Truly a waste. Think of this now so you can get what you may want later in life. It's fun now but you will forever regret bad decisions later. Give yourself a chance for your dreams whatever they may be. You never know what will haunt you later. Nothing is worse than not achieving your goal ONLY because of a stupid mistake you made years ago. Your dream job later may depend on your judgement today. Stand above the rest and be a true leader by example.
******DO NOT buy into the college credit card trap. Again, fun now...hell later. A bad credit report is so important now even for employment. You don't want that burden of finance charges and penalties mounting up later, it ruins lives. DO without now so you have later. the time passes fast and it will be worth it when you are truly happy later. I know of many people who had to leave positions bc of credit. Bad credit= no trust. You are a risk of selling out for money bribes. The real world does have corruption and you don't learn that while you are a student. A degree is only part of it. You think it's all you need but there is a whole lot more to it after college. It can be the difference bt your dream and settling.
Whichever degree you seek will have opportunities to bump elbows with the right people. Learn who they are as a freshman. Get your name known and stand out. Don't be a kiss a$$, but be respected by the department you study in. There is a difference and you will see what I mean when you get there. Also, look at the respected students each year ahead of you. Get in that crew as the freshman rep. The benifits will follow...ie TA positions, tuition paid for involvement etc. You learn more when on the inside. Trust me on all of this, it will pay off.
Good luck, have fun but be smart.
PS. Greek life??? usually trouble for GPA. If you want it and can handle it....cool. Otherwise, don't pay for your friends. You don't want to be working in a Blimpies in 10 years saying "yeah but I can pick a quarter up with my butt while chugging a beer"
The fact that you are asking this tells me you are bright. Think of tomorrow.

Answer 2

I wish I had known what I wanted to do with my life. I actually left college for a couple years to travel. I only wish that I could have done this before wasting the money on the first time around, but if I didn't go the first time, I wouldn't have met my husband and would have missed out on some interesting parties and relationships and even the few courses that I really enjoyed and yea, those A's didn't hurt. College isn't all academics. You have to have balance, keep up on your work and you can party too and I wish I had the focus and drive, but at that time I hadn't a clue who or what I wanted to be nor did I think I'd survive the year without killing myself. I have mood issues and I wish I had known how serious it was the first time around. I wish I had known that my parents, high school teachers, friends and just about everyone I ever met pushing me to go to school wasn't reason enough on it's own.

Another interesting thing is, if you study liberal arts, if you can find something that really excites you, some subject, you can use it in all your classes. I like to specialize while generalizing. Makes the research papers a hell of a lot easier. You just have to make sure you're not plagarising yourself, yes, it can be done.

Answer 3

I wish I knew what I wanted to do with my life. Sounds silly I know, but I thought I knew what I wanted to do when I started college, but I didn't. 10 years later, no wait, 11 years ago.

Not that I'm suggesting you do this, but I think kids should work for a year or two before they start college. (the problem with that is you could potentially never start college and end up in a crappy place in life)

A good idea is, spend some time talking with your guidance counselor often your h.s. will have computer programs that help point out career choices that you would be a good fit for. (the h.s. I work at has such programs)

There is always the Army, The G.I. bill could help you pay for school, if you don't end up being killed in Iraq :(

Answer 4

I wish I had known that the whole "liberal arts" movement was just a big scam.

Seriously, all of these college administrators and professors will encourage you to go liberal arts as a major. The reality is, while some of the classes may be interesting, it's just a way to make sure poetry professors and history professors can keep a job.

Unless you're going to law school or plan on teaching, AVOID liberal arts as a major. If you'd actually like to be employed as something other than a bartender AFTER college, I highly recommend majoring in something that actually prepares you for a real job. Engineering, allied health, education, etc., etc., etc.

Don't fall for the scam.

Answer 5

I wish i had known what size of school i wanted to go to. I started college at a suburban small liberal arts college, and i hated every minute of it, i didn't like the people i thought it was boring, and it reminded me high school. After my freshman year i transfered to a big state school and loved it, more people, more things going on, the whole atmosphere was way better!!!!!!

also, college is harder than high school. in HS i never studied, never put much effort into school and i got a's and b's. College was whole different story, i had to learn how to study and found some classes to be a challenge (i had to take a calculus class 3 times before getting above a C)

Answer 6

Well I didnt go to college right after high school, I took 4 years off. It started out as one but then my son was born and it extended.
I found out how hard this world is without a college degree. I found out that college will teach you so much, its easier then HS in alot of ways, but it also teaches you so much more.
College is not for everyone, you need to think, with open possibilites, what you want to be in the end. If that requires a college degree you need to fight your way for it, dont let anything stop you. But college is not for everyone if you want to be something that does not require college thats fine. but dont let the fear of college stop you, you can learn anything at anytime.

Answer 7

I wish I had known how to penetrate the bureaucracy of the University. There is so much red tape involved in doing ANYTHING in college. Simply filling out a form for student loans can be a frustrating and confusing experience.

Answer 8

I wish I had known that graduating "with honors" (it won't let me say C -- Laude) not only meant that you had to have over a 3.0 average, but that you couldn't EVER get a 'C' in a class. I got ONE 'C' my first semester... If I'd known, I would have done anything to avoid that 'C.'

Also, I wish someone had shown me how to use a syllabus right away. Seems self-explanatory, I know, but I had no idea...

Answer 9

That it would be so easy. If I had known that, I might have done it earlier. My biggest fear was Math. I learned to rely on a tutor to help me make it through. The rest of the classes were a breeze.

Answer 10

How easy it was to attend. I had thought it was some complicated mysterious set of buildings with people more intelligent than I, and tough assignments. I was wrong. The other thing I learned is that instructors won't remind you of assignments or requirements and if you can't motivate yourself or approach them with questions, you'll be left out.