2 years ago I wrote about 5 things I wish I had known when I started college. Feel free to review those here: http://beckypalmer.thecomputerguy.bz/2015/08/college-advice-from-an-old-person/
And, while all of those things are still 100% true the world has changed a lot since then and so I felt that there are a few new things to consider, things that weren’t on the radar 20 odd years ago. Things like:
#1 Get off your damn phone. Do not spend all your time posting selfies on Instagram or on Facetime with your high school BFF. Get out there and have actual experiences with other actual humans.
#2 Think two or three times before you post anything on social media. Nothing you put out there- not even on Snapchat- is ever truly gone. That party selfie you post in October could be what keeps you from getting that internship you really want in June, or that great job 3 Junes from now.
#3 Make a concerted effort to talk to people who are really different from you. People who are a different religion. A different race. Come from a different country. Have different political views. The only people you should actively avoid (besides criminals) are the ones who demand “safe spaces” where only their views are allowed. That is an antithesis of what college, and the First Amendment, are all about.
#4 Many colleges offer help with study skills and the like during orientation or during the first weeks of school. Some schools even offer an entire class for incoming freshmen. Go. Especially if you think you don’t need to. Especially if you never really studied in high school. Your professor isn’t going to call your parents if you don’t turn in your homework and is very unlikely to offer extra credit at the end of the semester to help bring your grade up. As much as we want you to enjoy the college experience you ARE there to earn a degree.
Once again, please feel free to share this with all the young people in your life and add any gems of wisdom you have too!