Things I Leaned in College

1. The friends you make in college may seem closer than the friends you made in high school, but you will always have the special trauma-bonded friendships of the friends you made back home.

Even if you don't talk to those friends all the time, it's okay. I am in a group chat with people I graduated with and while we don't talk all the time, it's nice to hear from them. Especially in the age that we are in now where a lot of life is documented on Snapchat. It is great to share the shenenanagins you got into with those people.

2. On the subject of friends: Everyone says that the friends you make in college will be your lifelong and truest friends. That isn't always true.

When I started college in 2018, I ended up hanging out with a group of about 13 people every day. We slept in each other's beds, experimented with how many people can fit on a twin Xl bed (7), pulled so many all-nighters, left home early to spend time together over winter break, and countless other things. We were all so close and swore that we would be friends forever. I talk to three of those people now. I believe that those three people will be my friends until I die, but not everyone you become friends with in college will be your best friend forever.

3. Don't make every choice based on what your friends choices.

4. Change your major, then change it again. It's stupid that so many of us are pressured to go to college right out of high school and begin working on what we want to do for the rest of our lives.

I went into college knowing that I wanted to be a music journalist. Journalism classes sucked. I hated it. I ended up majoring in creative writing, I was right in that I wanted to write, but not about what I wanted to write about.

5. Professors care about you. I had multiple professors tell me to follow my dream and then they gave me tips on how to do so.

I was in college when the world shut down for COVID, and all of my classes were online. One of my professors emailed me asking if I was okay becasue I hadn't turned in a lot of homework. His syllabus said that late work would not be accepted. I emailed him back telling him what was going on. I was being overworked by my boss, COVID had really negatively affected my depression, in general, everything sucked. He gave me a week to catch up on what I had missed with no points being taken off. At the time, I had never met him in real life, he later became my advisor.

5.5. Be honest with your professors. Again, they care for you. In the middle of the spring semester of 2022, my dad and brother-in-law died. Two of my professors altered the rest of my assignments, allowing me to pass, the other two didn't but you can always retake a class.

6. It's okay to drop a class. If a class is really weighing you down, just drop it. It's better to drop it than to fail it. Before I changed my major to creative writing, I dropped my yearbook class multiple times. The yearbook professor understood and gave me tips on how to change my major and my advisor.

7. It's okay if you don't pass a class, you can always retake it next semester. Sure, it sucks, but college is super hard.

8. College isn't for everyone. Sure, you can try it. You can even suffer until you graduate, but not everything needs a degree. Go to a trade school if you want. Just finish high school if you want.

8.5. A lot of older people shit on fast food workers, people who work in grocery stores, minimum wage employees, etc. We need those people. Think about how upset they would be if they couldn't get their coffee, or their cigarettes, or pick up their online ordered groceries. People who work in those jobs are some of the most important people. Those jobs are often the most fun as well.

9. Sometimes you have to miss class for your mental health.

One day, we skipped class to go to the park, feed the ducks, and get ice cream. Your mental health is more important that your schoolwork.

10. Take classes just because they are fun! I took a film class that had nothing to do with anything I needed to do to graduate. It was so much fun. We got to write screenplays and we watched movies every weekend.

11. Please, I am begging you, use the library.

12. While I am begging you, use the health center as well. They gave me antidepressants and anxiety medication. They are super nice. It's free. You can get free allergy meds ibuprofen, condoms, suckers, and probably more things as well.

13. Don't drink on a Sunday night, especially if you have an 8 am Monday morning class.

14. Try not to take 8 am classes unless you're a morning person.

15. If you are having an all-nighter and the coffee tastes super bad, don't drink it. You'll go to class the next morning and it will suck. Someone will go to the hospital. Don't drink any coffee that tastes funny.

16. When you make to-do lists add in minor things or things you are already going to do so you can feel good when you cross them off.

17. Do your homework. Read the reading, sometimes it is super interesting and you wouldn't have realized it. Don't just bullshit everything and Google it. Sometimes you have to bullshit it though, try not to make it a habit.

18. Always rent your books if you have the chance to. Also, look for books with writing or highlights in them. It makes it easier. I have learned more from the writings in the books than the readings sometimes.

19. Do not be afraid to write in the books you get. Pay it forward and help the next person.

20. If you have to buy a book, see if thriftbooks.com has it. I have a first edition of The Devine Comedy that I got from Thriftbooks for 15 dollars.

21. Install Grammarly on your browser. It's free and worth it.