4 Tips for Future College Students from a Student

I'm about 3 months into my first year of university and I've learned a lot so far. This list is to give people going into college or university some things to be wary about when picking where to go and to try and bust a couple myths people tell you when going to university.

A little background on me before we jump in. I'm taking business at a Bishops university which is 9 hours away from where I was born and had grown up.

Side note: I'm going to say university because that's what they call my school but these apply for both.

1) You don't need to run away to grow.

Where this point comes from is the fact that when I was applying and accepted to university I was under the delusional idea that for me to grow into the person that I want to be I had to leave behind everyone and everything I knew. That is not the case. When you get to university you have so much freedom and time and control that you don't need to be with or talk to people you don't want to talk to.

The idea of running away and starting a new life for university is attractive but impractical for the majority of people. That can be a good idea later in life, but what I've found is that when you don't know who you are and you strip all identity you have away it makes for a difficult time.

2) Not everyone is starting over.

The most common thing that I heard when going into university is that everyone is starting from the same place. That's almost never true. When you're going into university, there are going to be common themes that people share no matter where you are. In high school you're in a geographical bubble and that bubble can only extend so far. So the behaviors of different people and the way people think about socializing changes depending on where you are.

3) The culture matters.

When picking where to go make sure you visit it as well as read about it. The mistake I made was not realizing the type of people that go to the school and thinking about if I really want to go there. So research and and look at statistics of every aspect. Also don't trust student satisfaction statistics because everyone that makes it through obviously likes it. Look at retention and and stats on behaviors like partying and sports and activities. Lastly when you visit, don't visit in the off season, visit a couple months into the semester and see what an actual day is like.

4) Apply to lots and critically think about your acceptance.

I did the worst thing that a prospective university student can do. I applied to one place and accepted as soon as I could. You may think that you know exactly where you want to go but my life has changed in the last 10 months more then I had in the 17 years before this. This is an big point in your life and you need to treat it that way.

What I'm hoping this article does to to just make you think about where you're going and not rush this decision. This is a massive decision and one of the most important of your life do research, contemplate and try to have lots of options. You can shoot for the big schools because you get out what you put in. If you want to go to the top school in the country then put in the work and grind to get there.

Some Things I’m Working On:

• YouTube Channel: Boys at Large
• Social Media Marketing Agency
• Building up Instagram Profile @Yaboicaldiereckless
• Doing Well In University
• Trying to Give Value to People