A Few Things Every College Student Should Know

With my fiancee, Kristi, starting another semester of college. I am reminded of the things that I didn’t know about college when I was a freshman and sophomore. These are a few tidbits that I wish someone would have told me before I went away to school. And so I share them with you.

Majors 101

Majors do not matter as much as you may think. Of course, if you want to be a doctor, then you will have to go to medical. However, for most of the college majors out there, picking one does not lock you into a life of hell, if it turns out you hate the real-world career version of your discipline.

When I was in high school, I was under the impression that whatever I chose as a major in college, I was going to have to do for the rest of my life. For many, this misunderstanding places a huge boulder on their shoulders to “select the right major.” Fortunately, I fell into the small category of people who knew what they wanted to major in. However, the majority of my friends can not say the same. I have noticed that the average college student will usually change his or her major at least once. Furthermore, the average adult is expected to make three to five career changes, and probably many more job changes.

After you land your first job or two, work experience matters more than anything else - besides the fact that you have a degree. Therefore, as long as you pick a major that you enjoy and are in the right ballpark for your ‘ideal’ career, you should be alright. So relax, everything will be alright.

Double major = Great. Many more = Shame on you!

Double majoring is a good idea for people who may need specialized training for their careers but are not sure which one they want to major in. For instance, Mathematics and Computer Science have many classes in common and shared logic, so you may get credit towards both majors for taking one class. Another example is two non-related fields, say, English and Political Science. You may love both subjects and can not live without either as a major field-of-study. If that is the case than go for it! You have four to seven years (yes, seven, I know people that enjoyed college a little too much) to absorb as much interesting information that you can. So do it. However, any more than two majors and you may be wasting your time and possibly even hurting yourself. Many employers may think that the curriculum was not challenging enough for you - or worse that you cheated your way through.

The truth about textbooks and the evil Corporations that sell them

Two rules:

1) Try not to buy textbooks too early

2) Save money, buy and sell them online

Many schools (including my alma mater) claim that you are required to buy all of the text books assigned on the syllabus each semester. However I have learned that just because the school requires the professor to write it on paper, does not mean that he or she are required to use the thing. Probably thirty percent of the textbooks I purchased in college were just expensive paper weights and door stops that depreciate faster than a new car. Every student learns different and every professor teaches different. So, if you can, talk to other students that have taken the courses and professors before you sign-up for new courses to see if you should buy the textbooks.

Also, if you are a poor college student (like so many of us) try not to buy textbooks from your school bookstore. I think some school bookstores and book publishers should be investigated for price gouging. Also, when book buy-back comes around exam week, you will be lucky if you get one-tenth back of what you paid four months previous. If you can, buy your books online. You’ll thank me later.

Social life vs. Book worm

No matter what anyone tells you, your social life is a huge part of your college education. Life is, after all, about the people you meet along the way. Somebody once said, “life outside of class and work is where you learn to spend your leisure.” So, my best advice is to do everything that you can while you are in college, especially if it is cheap or free. Or hell, even if it is not. Enjoy yourself, your friends, and the time you spend with them-even if you are not doing anything at all. Some of my best memories are the ones when we were
hanging out in our dorm room causing trouble, er, studying.

Professors are your friends, not the enemy

Aside from your leisure, it is always wise to communicate with your professors. After a couple of semesters of college, I learned that I did better in classes where professors knew me by name - even if I only talked to them a couple of times outside of lecture. So my advice is, during the first couple of weeks of the semester, talk to your professors either after class or during their office hours, introduce yourself, and ask them a questions about something in the book or in the lecture notes (there is bound to be something that you don’t quite fully understand). Be sincere and they will see that you are trying and studying, and as a result they will usually be more willing to help you in the future. After all, you never know who you will run into again in the future.

Get outside your comfort zone…and your country

Lastly, if at all possible, I would recommend that you study or travel abroad. So far I have been to six countries and plan to visit many more. In each one I learned more about myself and other people than any classroom has ever taught me about culture.

The Senior Year

Get an internship. Job recruiters love experience. Get some before you graduate and you should be in good shape for your first job. Who knows, you may even have a job offer from the place where you interned.

Again, have fun and build some lasting relationships. After all, your peers are the future executives and CEOs of the world. -E

Humor:

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