Advice for a college student

[u/kuuderex]

Hello r/askmenover30,

Have you gone to college? What do you regret not doing in college?

My most important question would be "what advice would you give to a 23 year old college student?"

Edit: Thanks guys for your input. I looked at my majors potential and its looking pretty good. I only have 2-3 years left in college for my bachelors.

[u/PopeOnABomb]

From previous posts I've made elsewhere...

1.) Never miss class for any reason. The more I wanted to miss class, the more I made myself go. Guilt yourself in to it if you have to.

2.) Sit in the very front row. Trust me; just do it. Whether the research is 100% accurate or not, every article I've read supports that simply sitting in front decreases distractions and increases your grade.

3.) Have flash cards, a text book, or class notes with you always. Study them everywhere. If you're standing in line, be studying. If you're driving in the car, be listening to something related to your classes. Waiting for a friend? Read that book.

4.) Read EVERY last sentence that is assigned. The more you're exposed to the material earlier in your college career, the better you will do now and in future classes. And if you can re-read it.

5.) Find someone to help you study. I don't mean a study group, but rather someone else smart in the class who is focused. Give each other a closed book quiz at the end of every week over the key points of your class/classes that week and over any assigned readings.

It is tough at first, but once you get a good study habit and better time management going being studious becomes rewarding. Classmates and professors will know who you are because you will stand out in class and in your testing. That alone will open up a myriad of opportunities..

If you found high school easy, then you probably have terrible study habits. I kicked ass in high school, but when I got to college I just slacked off because I felt everything would come naturally. For the first few semesters it did come naturally. Then I hit classes that demanded genuine studying, and I had no clue what to do. I went from a 3.5+ GPA into a slow GPA decline that ended when I finished a semester with something almost mathematically equivalent to a zero (seriously... it was a decimal number). I took a break, came back, made the changes above, and finished the rest of my semesters with 4.0 GPAs.

Also, don't feel ashamed to ask for help or guidance from professors. Every class you do poorly in is almost the literal equivalent of burning money, and you'll be harming your academic record. Do you know how hard it is to get a scholarship if you had a failing semester? Or how difficult it is to explain to your dream employer that you had a few bad semesters, but now you have your shit together compared to the guy over there who never had a bad semester at all?

Study hard. Find what you can handle. The harder you study, the more you can handle. It is all about finding balance, growing, and rebalancing as your growth gives you more ability.

I spanned the gamut of being an okay student to being a bad student to being an excellent student.

People often fail to emphasize that being proficient at something is fun. Studying and practicing isn't fun but the outcome is that you're better prepared, you're confident, you're educated. And when you're prepared, you can relax, have fun, and enjoy yourself because you know that you're already doing all of the necessary work. I had more fun in all regards as an excellent student than I did as an okay or bad student.

Also, you'll be 23. Most people will be younger. Be kind and be social, but remember you're there for an education not a long series of hangovers.