There was so much good advice?over 300 responses so far?in response to our question about what we might have done differently in college if we had known better at the time. Some common themes really stood out, however:
Focus on Academics
1. Go to class. "Going to your class and showing up is 50% of the battle. I already knew this, but man, you see so many people flame out because they can't get their butts in the chair." -VicViper
2. Go to office hours. "Bring in a rough essay outline, with at least some idea of what you want to write about, and your teacher will literally help write the paper with you. And your teacher knows you, likes you, and is more willing to "see your point" on a final." - Kolea
Work on Discovering Your Calling or Developing Career Skills
3. Do internships. "You'll gain valuable work experience, make yourself more attractive to potential employers, and, at the very least, narrow down what you want to do (or even if you want to do it!). -blackholeinacan
4. Learn job-relevant skills. "You don't have to decide what you want to do, but be certain to have skills that employers are seeking." TheFu
"Start practicing your career while in college - do an internship, start a business on the side [INCORPORATE!] with your career as the focus of that business, something to be sure you're into what you think you're into. Nothing is more disappointing than a degree you can't stand the job 6 months into it." - Dan_M
Mind Your Finances
5. Go for the free money. "Tried harder to get scholarships, rather than paying my way with massive student loan debt" - JasonJames122
6. Avoid debt. "Spending money excessively on coffee, beer, and food is an obvious detriment to your future. Make sure to live within your means. If you have common sense, this should be easy. Don't take loans unless they are absolutely necessary, and don't drown yourself in credit card debt." - Huy D.
Get Social
7. It's not what you know, it's who you know. "If you don't have job experience, network, network, network. Ivy League schools are coveted for their networking potential, not the piece of paper they hand out." - jinushaun
Make the Most of This Unique Time
8. Don't be in a rush to get out early. "Stay in school. I graduated early and it wasn't worth it." - kaeldra
9. Get involved with a sport, club, frat, political org, ANYTHING. "Not only does it help to show employers that you are well-rounded when you're looking for jobs, it also introduces you to a whole new circle of friends while you're in school and makes the experience that much more enjoyable." - bluescreenofdeath
10. Study abroad. "I wish so, so, so hard that I did. Maybe even for a summer if your schedule won't let you." - whoopingchow
"The best and I mean BEST thing I did in college was study abroad." - dill616
Perhaps Most Importantly...
Enjoy yourself.. "In college you will likely have no (real) job, and very little in the way of responsibilities. If you live in university housing, your meals are prepared for you, and almost all of the building cleaning and maintenance will be done by the university. In short, you have very little coming between you and what you want to do, in terms of both time and money. Take this time to live life to the fullest, and with no regrets. For the rest of your life, having a job, maintaining your house, endless cleaning, and family obligations means you won't have anywhere near as much free time as you do now. Make the best of it. I've been out of school for 2 years now, and I already wish I could go back and enjoy life more instead of working so hard." - Matt Seier
You can read the original post of what we wish we had known in college or feel free to share any additional words of wisdom with us in the comments. Photo by CarbonNYC.
You can follow or contact Melanie Pinola, the author of this post, on Twitter or Google+.
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