2 Things you Will Wish you Did While in University.

College is stressful. It becomes really easy to get caught up in surviving day to day so much so that you ignore some of the most amazing opportunities that being in college gives you. The advice given here is not only useful if you are about to enter college but is also useful if you are already in college. Without further ado, here are 2 things you will wish you did while in university.

1. Learning a second language

Most college students enter college intending to learn a second language but they never do. Someone told me this before I entered college - I remember thinking I would be different. As it turns out, I was no different. I actually only started learning Spanish with consistency after I graduated. My university allowed you a number of non-major electives (these are courses that are outside your main area of study). I could have taken a course or two in a different language but I never did. I always looked for courses that came with as little work as possible so I could spend more time developing my skills as a web developer.

Before you get self righteous, trust me when I say you're probably going to do the same. I tried using an app called Duolingo to learn on my own but I was never able to stay consistent. My first mistake was trying to learn three different languages (I know right: ambitious and stupid). I would spend about thirty minutes on the app in one sitting and never return to it for about a month and then do it all over again.

I'm still busy these days but I'm able to find time to learn a little Spanish everyday. I'm also still using the Duolingo app. So what changed? It turns out that the key was never going over one lesson per day on the Duolingo app - no matter how much free time I have on a particular day. Eventually, it begins to feel like something that takes such little time to do that find time to do it everyday. Doing very little everyday turns out to be the key to anything important you feel you have no time to do. Imagine if you took one Duolingo lesson for every day of your four years - you would graduate with a 1,460-day language learning streak under your belt. That will be something amazing to have on your CV.

2. Starting a Blog or YouTube channel

Did you know that in order to monetize a YouTube channel, you need 1,ooo subscribers and 4,000 watch hours. Did you also know that it usually takes over a year to meet these requirements. Well it only occurred to me that I should find this out after college.

Another thing I would recommend to anyone starting college is that they start a YouTube channel or a Blog. For one thing, it's provides amazing practice in building and engaging an audience. If done well it can also save you a lot of startup work later if you decide to start Blog or do something on YouTube after you graduate. Aside from being something you can have on your CV, these platforms can be a source of income after you graduate.

Sure, it only takes about six months of publishing at least one article a week to monetize a Medium blog. However, it will take more than a year to build enough of a user base to earn any serious money on Medium. Another important thing is that you don't have to do it alone. You can team up with a colleague in your university.