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college is where I learned how to ski (was formerly terrified), rock climb, write about music, etc
be open minded when it comes to people, donât think things like âwell this person is in this club/this major so they must be like thisâ
most importantly, donât take your academics too seriously đ they matter but what matters more is your experiences, learning through actually working (internships), and making connections in the field youâre interested in. ofc varies based on what you intend to do after college. if no grad school then have fun and work!! the goal after college is employment so whatever gets you there
be open minded when it comes to people, donât think things like âwell this person is in this club/this major so they must be like thisâ
most importantly, donât take your academics too seriously đ they matter but what matters more is your experiences, learning through actually working (internships), and making connections in the field youâre interested in. ofc varies based on what you intend to do after college. if no grad school then have fun and work!! the goal after college is employment so whatever gets you there
Feb 8, 2024
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đCollege (and especially first year) is one of the rare times in your life where it is so easy to meet all sorts of different types of people. Everyone is young and outgoing and you all have this shared âthingâ that you got accepted to this institution and most importantly youâre all geographically concentrated in this one place (the campus) in multiple settings and environments (class, library, dorms, activities, parties, etc). You also havenât been hardened by life (everyone gets busier, a little more risk averse, a little more guarded as they age - the game is just protecting as much of your youthful self as possible while still maturing and growing in all the best ways as you age but thatâs for another post).
Studying is important (especially if you want to at least **keep the door open** on going to some form of grad school because NO ONE PLANS ON GOING TO GRAD SCHOOL IN FIRST YEAR) but do not forget to make the most of EVERYTHING campus life has to offer - itâs like a buffet try the lobster tail and if you donât like you donât have to finish it get another plate. Life and memories happen in the most mundane moments: the stuff I remember and get misty eyed is such a random collection of experiences you couldnât design it if you tried itâs just the cumulus of doing a whole bunch of random stuff - some of it is sort of crazy stuff and some of it is as simple as getting a coffee with someone or throwing a charity car wash or polar bear dip or staying up late and ordering pizza studying for a midterm with friends.
Lastly be generous and be a honest, good person. The campus is a surprisingly small place, and reputations are quickly made or unmade (if youâre on here youâre probably a very awesome person but itâs always worth saying). Kindness goes a long way and you have no idea which of your acquaintances will go on to become lifelong friends. The people I stayed in touch with 15 years later are NOT who I expected!!
Studying is important (especially if you want to at least **keep the door open** on going to some form of grad school because NO ONE PLANS ON GOING TO GRAD SCHOOL IN FIRST YEAR) but do not forget to make the most of EVERYTHING campus life has to offer - itâs like a buffet try the lobster tail and if you donât like you donât have to finish it get another plate. Life and memories happen in the most mundane moments: the stuff I remember and get misty eyed is such a random collection of experiences you couldnât design it if you tried itâs just the cumulus of doing a whole bunch of random stuff - some of it is sort of crazy stuff and some of it is as simple as getting a coffee with someone or throwing a charity car wash or polar bear dip or staying up late and ordering pizza studying for a midterm with friends.
Lastly be generous and be a honest, good person. The campus is a surprisingly small place, and reputations are quickly made or unmade (if youâre on here youâre probably a very awesome person but itâs always worth saying). Kindness goes a long way and you have no idea which of your acquaintances will go on to become lifelong friends. The people I stayed in touch with 15 years later are NOT who I expected!!
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đȘŽi had a similar mindset to you coming into college where i wanted to achieve a lot. it's important to have that ambition earlier on, as it can propel you to improve yourself.
at the same time, don't get disheartened if things don't work out the first time around. i had a lot of issues in my first two years chasing after this idea of "lifelong college friends", and it's only after i stopped chasing and focused on myself that i was able to build some stronger friendships. engage with your hobbies and the things you like to do - people with similar interests can be found there.
be flexible and open - have a list of priorities for the day, and engage in "productive procrastinating" where you procrastinate on something by doing an unrelated productive thing (like taking a break from an essay and cleaning up my room). i split my time between career prep, clubs, and other engagements using this tactic.
it's a time of a lot of change, but you got this. good luck :)
at the same time, don't get disheartened if things don't work out the first time around. i had a lot of issues in my first two years chasing after this idea of "lifelong college friends", and it's only after i stopped chasing and focused on myself that i was able to build some stronger friendships. engage with your hobbies and the things you like to do - people with similar interests can be found there.
be flexible and open - have a list of priorities for the day, and engage in "productive procrastinating" where you procrastinate on something by doing an unrelated productive thing (like taking a break from an essay and cleaning up my room). i split my time between career prep, clubs, and other engagements using this tactic.
it's a time of a lot of change, but you got this. good luck :)
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đ... and that's a good thing. You can really focus on experimenting with being the person you want to be. You'll also need to unlearn what you think other people think of you, since that's probably no longer accurate. Always say yes to meeting new people, doing things you've never done before. Take classes about weird stuff you don't know about that sound interesting. Explore!
One of my few college regrets is not taking ballroom dancing when all my friends were because I was feeling too shy. In hindsight it was over nothing. Go do the thing.
One of my few college regrets is not taking ballroom dancing when all my friends were because I was feeling too shy. In hindsight it was over nothing. Go do the thing.
Jul 5, 2025
