Ah Yes- Those College Days! but I Wish.... (Need 50Responses!!)

Don't fall through the cracks-keep in close contact with a college counselor!

Don't drink too much, eat too much, or party too much...........those freshman 15 (or 30) are hard to get rid of!

Thrift stores are a great place to get some cool clothes!

study more
paid more attention
so much partying
focus more
enjoy college life but still get my studying done!

I seriously wish I would have been smarter about the opportunity that was given to me. I partied and socialized too much. I should have found a better balance between studies and friends.

I wish someone had told me to _______ while in college

Spend more time getting to know and listening to the stories the older teachers / students had told during class.

I wish I would have ______ while in school
studied more and partied less

I wish I wouldn't have done ______
lost contact with my college roommate and some of my teachers/professors

If I could go back now I would ______
take that random class that everyone else said was a waste of time. In the long run did it really matter to them whether I took it or not? nope but I wish all the time that I had.

Why didn't someone tell me to ______
That grades are important from the first class in freshman year. It does hurt in the long run to get that b+ instead of an A and same goes for getting a c as opposed to a d. grades matter and you won't realize it til they are calculating your gpa for graduation that if you had only studied a little more in that freshman math class you might have sigma cum laude instead of magna (those cords look pretty cool when graduating

second thing to know. you need half as many clothes as you bring and twice as much money lol

I wish someone had told me to _______ while in college
Carefully consider how long the rest of my life was and how big a part of life working is and how much doing what you loves impacts the quality of your life.

I wish I would have ______ while in school
Found a passion and studied something that I really wanted and that felt really comfortable on me instead of thinking that the objective was to graduate.

I wish I wouldn't have done ______
So much focus on finding a man instead of finding myself.

If I could go back now I would ______
Look at smaller colleges rather than the large state university so I could have attended smaller classes and had relationships with the professors.

Why didn't someone tell me to ______

Take this opportunity to discover yourself and what you really want out of life. Volunteer at activities that are close to your major or interview working professionals in your major to see if it really makes you happy. Don't be in a hurry to decide because the decision sticks and determines the course of your life in so many ways. Look through the types of career opportunities that are on the Bureau of Labor statistics website. Network within your future industry if possible. Don't concentrate on mating, you haven't fully developed yet. Try on lots of different people and groups and activities to find where you are most comfortable and where you feel best about yourself!

PS - I am 58 years old so this is a pretty far back in the rear view mirror perspective.

My advice has always been:

Party with the party kids.
Study with the smart kids.
Don't mix them up.

Don't do something stupid - it will turn up on U-Tube.

Take advantage of all that the college has to offer.

If you need help - ask for it.

Choose a major that you love. There's no point in getting a degree in something you don't enjoy just because it means a larger salary upon graduation. You're going to be working for a long time... you may as well do something you love.

Go to class. You can't learn anything if you're not in class.

If it shows up on Facebook, it will follow you for the rest of your life. Be smart.

LBC

I'll tell you what I told my baby brother:

I wish someone had told me: DON'T eat the brownies, seriously.

I wish someone would have *told me I could sell my blood plasma for extra cash so mom and dad wouldn't know I spent my laundry/book money on NON cafeteria food and 40 oz beers.

I wish I wouldn't have done: the lacrosse team... KIDDING!! But I have to tell my brother these things, he's a ladies man... I wish I wouldn't have joined so many extracurricular activities to 'make friends'... it's still school, classes come first.

If I could go back now I would do: the lacrosse team, BWAHAHA!! Kidding again... I would sit up front in classes. For real. You're I think 5% (or 15%, I forget) more likely to do better just from sitting up front. Who cares where you sit? It's not a popularity contest; go be that teachers pet :)

Why didn't someone tell me: That having an unlimited cafeteria account was the worst investment EVERRR. The food sucks and you're STILL going to go to the pizzeria with your friends almost every night.

One more thing... you need a ridiculous amount of HIGHLIGHTS, COLORED SHARPIE MARKERS, AND 3x5 INDEX CARDS, regardless of what your teachers/friends tell you!!

I do wish your little sis all the best :)

--I wish I would have stayed up to date with the academic advisor to schedule my courses better.
--I wish I would have had more fun in school (for some this is NOT an issue)
Join a sport. I did my favorite sport in College and LOVED it.
--Why didn't someone tell me NOT to take a class that covers 5 areas of requirement. Oh wow that classes was the worst and hardest class I ever took!
--If I could go back now...well I am back now because I didn't do what I wished I would have like talk to an advisor. Almost done though 7 yrs later!! 1.5 more semesters...lol

I wish someone would have told me to keep in closer touch with my counselor (they canceled my degree...WHILE I was in it!)

I wish I would have made more friends while in school, (I was focused on grades)

I wish I wouldn't have stressed so much about being perfect, and let myself make more mistakes. Really, it's the best way to learn.

If I could go back now, I would really try to enjoy it more, be a little less reserved.

Why didn't someone tell me to RELAX. Notice a theme here? This is a time in your life where you truly go from being kid to adult. You make your own decisions, make your own mistakes, and really learn to be independent. Enjoy the process, take time to realize that one day it will be a job, a marriage, children and there will be times you wish you could go back. So make sure you make plenty of happy memories!

I wish someone had told me to "date more" while in college. I don't mean sex---just simple hanging out with men. I was really shy.

I wish I would have "made actual friends and not just acquaintances" while in school. College is a great opportunity to find like-minded individuals.

I wish I wouldn't have done "that smarmy cute boy"! Trust your instincts!!!

If I could go back now I would "not take so many hours at one time". I consistently took 20 hours per semester. I finished college in basically half the time but it left me with no time to explore clubs and meet people.

Why didn't someone tell me to "not get fall down/stupid drunk". This actually does not apply to me but I saw too many people get sloppy, gross, puking up drunk. It is not cute and is dangerous!

I wish I would have looked seriously about what my likelyhood of actually finding a JOB with my degree would be. My husband too.

I got a bachelors in Spanish/Liberal Arts. My husband got a BA in history. We both wanted to be professors- (didn't know eachother then). We knew we'd need to get more than a bachelors, but didn't really "get" what that would mean time wise and financially. I wound up getting a job teaching highschool Spanish, which I didn't enjoy. I taught 2 years and got married and quickly became a SAHM (which was really what I wanted to do anyway).
So, I'm happy now, but if I ever needed to go back to work, my degree really wouldn't be much help.

My husband couldn't find work at all with his degree, so he decided to go back to school and become an RN. He didn't have any trouble finding work, and is now supporting a family of 6. Healthcare is definately a good field to go into.

My other advice would be not to go into major debt to get your degree. Look for scholarships. If you need to get a loan, don't go to a really expensive school. You'll feel like you're paying off those student loans for an eternity :P
Best wishes!!!! =o)

Last year this time, I told my oldest son, then an entering freshman, remember, you're a PAYING CUSTOMER NOW.

(Among a zillion other things, of course)

:)

I wish someone had told me that I needed a degree to do anything worth while in the future.

I wish I would have gone to class EVERY DAY!

I wish I wouldn't have partied so much.

If I could go back now I would study and work really hard. I would try for a 4.0 gpa.

Why didn't someone tell me to SAVE my money!

Go to class...Every day!
Gone to Class...Every day
Most of it, if you couldnt get away with it while living at home dont do it
Go to class
Get My butt up and go to class

I wish someone had told me to date more while in college and not get so serious with someone so quickly.

I wish I would have taken more classes for "fun" while in school.

I wish I wouldn't have switched majors half-way through- it doubled my workload and didn't make a difference in the end.

If I could go back now I would study abroad for a semester.

Why didn't someone tell me to llighten up a little! We were all pretty studious... sorority sisters and all.

I wish someone had told me to not barf in public while in college
I wish I would have not hung out at "smokers corner" while in school
I wish I wouldn't have done my English teacher
If I could go back now I would do my Tennis instructor instead.
Why didn't someone tell me to get the herpes vaccine before I enrolled?

(is that the raunch you wanted?)
This is all totally untrue of my college days.... so don't freak out people ;) I said this JFF.

EDIT!

Lourdes is so right! Never take a class that starts before 9am! Ever! Also, try to schedule all math and science courses for the afternoon.

I wish someone had told me to join or create study groups while in college. A great study group can make all the dfference in a difficult class!

I wish I would have joined a few clubs and organizations while in school. Not the drunken, crazy ones, but the ones that were pertinent to my major.

I wish I wouldn't have bought ANY new books. Always buy books at half.com or ecampusbooks.com or find someone who took the class the previous semester. Rent books you'll never have to use again, and buy books which require more than one semester of use. For humanities courses (like philosophy or sociology) don't buy ANY books before the class starts. Wait until you have the syllabus in hand and only buy what the instructor says you HAVE to have. For sciences and math, buy the book before the class starts, but be CERTAIN you have the right one.

If I could go back now I would study harder and SMARTER. Use the great tools available out there. If you need flash cards, you can find great flash card programs free online. Math, science, language help? Also available free online (sparknotes.com).

Why didn't someone tell me to BUY A BIKE! It's so nice to run around campus on a nice, comfy bike. And parking is MUCH easier if you can hop on a bike and park it right outside the building instead of searching for a spot.

Also, have an alarm clock that wakes you with unique noises (like chimes or other more natural sounding noises) because regular alarm clocks SUCK! And get plenty of sleep. Keep up with the reading and you'll never have to cram.

Good luck!

I wish someone had told me to experiment with learning different things while in college (explanation: I didn't take economics because it sounded boring and had nothing to do with my major, but as an adult I realize what a great background it would have been - try new things and don't be intimidated!)

I wish I would have lived in an apartment (instead of just the dorms) and traveled abroad while in school

I wish I wouldn't have done - been uptight about partying, I went out, but I was very reserved at first, scared to drink, etc. So afraid of peer pressure. The truth is, I was always in control, and I could have had a little more fun at first.

If I could go back now I would date more boys!

Why didn't someone tell me to start a regular exercise routine and take a nutrition class. The freshman 15 didn't get me, but all those extra pounds came in my 20s and 30s. I was lulled into thinking I could always eat what I wanted. I wish someone had instilled better habits in me earlier.

And two other things: stick to a budget and save money. Don't use credit cards - seriously!!

I wish someone had told M. to have more fun and relax while in college
I wish I would have tried harder while in school
I wish I wouldn't have done so horribly on homework
If I could go back now I would take a trip overseas for a semester or two
Why didn't someone tell M. to enjoy this time and think about the future BUT livie in the present and enjoy less responsibilities (i was alwyas thinking of marriage and kids with my ex)