5 Things I Learned from College.

As a recent college graduate, I thought there would be nothing better than sharing my top 5 things that I have learned from my time in college. I want to disclose that these things are things that I have learned, and that someone else might have had different perspectives or experiences. If you are entering your freshman year of college this fall, this post is for you! Or if you are someone who is in already in college, welcome as well! Without further ado, let’s get started.

How to Budget

The first and what I consider one of the most important things I have learned is how to stay within a budget. I found that my bank account would be low around the middle of the semester and I would have to find a way to stretch my money until I went home for break. At times when the dining hall wasn’t open, I found that having snacks in my room came in handy. Constant trips to the grocery store or eating out can add up quick and as a college student, especially a freshman living away from home for the first time, it is important to be able to budget and spend money efficiently. One thing I found helpful was having a membership to a whole food stores like Costco or Sam’s club, this helped a lot to be able get items in bulk. I always went with my mom when I was home to restock on low items.

Here are a few things I usually stocked up on:

• Snacks

• Popcorn

• Poptarts or granola bars for breakfast

• Candy

• Shampoo, Conditioner, Soap

• Toothbrushes

• Toothpaste

• Razors

• Coffee

Stay tuned for a post on what to bring and what not to bring to college :)

Something else that I found useful when trying to save money was designating a night out of the week to treat yourself instead of the dinning hall. Friday was the night I would go out with friends to eat. To me, it was a reward for the hard work I did during the week and it was fun to be around friends.

The importance of Getting Involved

It may sound cliche, but get involved, get involve, get involved. As a freshman you will probably hear these two words over and over again, but trust me, its worth it. So many clubs and organizations are offered on campus and if you don’t see one you’re interested in, create one! Odds are someone else is looking for the same club you were so use that opportunity to make a club and meet someone who is interested in the same things as you

I know it sounds crazy, but at the end of your senior year, you will be glad you joined that club or joined that sports team. Not only will you have made so many new friends that will last a lifetime, but mentioning the clubs you’ve been apart of during an interview can always help!

There are also many opportunities to become an executive club member. This also allows you develop and enhance your leadership skills. Pro tip: employers love hearing about how you take initiative and how you have developed leadership skills.

Friendship

The hardest pill I had to swallow was that not all friendships last. Now I am not saying that your friendship wont last, I’m just sharing my experience. I had to learn the hard way who my true friends were. When you and your fiends go off to college and move to a new state or maybe a new town, it gets hard to see each other and sometimes friendships grow apart. The way I found who my true friends were, was by seeing who would make time to get together on a weekend, or over break. In my book, friendships, or any relationship is a two way street. There needs to be balance and when things are off balanced, thats when things get hard. On the other hand, college is where you will meet some of your best friends. This goes into the lesson of getting involved. Joining clubs or sports teams was how I became friends with some of my best friends.

Utilize your Professors and Classmates

Your college professors are there for you! They want to see you succeed and they want to help you in any way they can. Something I found useful was asking to send them a rough draft or even an outline of a paper or an assignment. They were always willing to look over it and send any feedback they had. This is one of my best pieces of advice. By doing this, I was able to know exactly what the professor wanted and I was able to get clarification on any questions I had on an assignment or topic from class.

Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions! You are there for your education. I know it might be scary at first, but trust me your professors love to hear your questions. If you are too afraid to speak up in class, you can also ask your professor to stay after class. This allows you to speak one on one, or you can email your professors. One thing that gave me the courage to speak up in class is remembering that there is no such thing as a dumb question, and that there are probably other students that might have the same question as you that are also afraid to speak up

Utilizing your classmates is also beneficial. My senior year of college, I made a group chat with my classmates that were also Social Work Seniors. We talked about upcoming assignments, any questions we might have had and random other stuff. I recommend doing this if you don’t know a lot of people in your class. It is a great way to make new friends!

Memories

Cherish your memories while you’re in college. College is over in a blink of an eye. I still don’t know how I am a graduate when I still think of myself as an incoming freshman who just got their room assignment. Take as many pictures you can and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. You will someday look back at your college experience and be glad that you went to that party or you went to that club event. College is a once in a lifetime experience and use this time to make some of your best memories that you can look back on forever.