Late August never fails to give me nostalgia for college even though it’s been just over two years since the start of my final semester. Wild, huh?
I certainly don’t miss the days of paper deadlines and flashcard studies, but I miss the campus vibe and being so close to friends most of all. Sure, college for people right now is, uh, different since we’re in a pandemic, but it’s making me feel extra grateful for my four years there.
And when I’m feeling grateful, I love to reflect. Today, I’m looking back on some of the best choices I made in college.
Getting an on-campus job
I loved my on-campus job as a writing tutor. Essentially, I edited papers and helped students make them stronger. I made some great friends and connections here and I loved the responsibility (and paycheck!). It helped me get relevant resume experience (I’m an editor now!) while on campus and it got me out of the house.
Sure, I didn’t work a ton of hours and was fortunate enough to not need to, but I loved it. I recommend anyone look into working on campus if they are able since it’s a great opportunity to branch out, learn more responsibility, and build a resume.
Living with my friends
So many people will tell you to never live with your friend (especially not your best friend), but I did the exact opposite. My best friend in college and I lived together for three of the four years and I don’t regret it for a second. We also lived with some of our other friends for three of those years.
The real advice is to only live with friends you know you can vibe with and that you truly like. Living with friends gets rough when you decide to live with a massive “friend” group consisting of people you don’t really know or even kind of hate. Keep your group small. Keep it tight. Have discussions before you live together and continue that open communication while you live together, too.
Living with friends is such an absolute delight (your buddy is a few steps or doors away!) and it was one of my favorite parts of college. Just know the friends you’re living with and don’t be afraid to turn some people/housing arrangements down if your heart isn’t in it and you’re not feeling confident about it. When in doubt, keep your core friends-to-live-with group small.
Acting as my own advisor
My academic advisor, who was painted to me as a true hero who would know me and my schedule better than anyone else and help me work toward my dream job in the best way possible, was truly useless and probably caused more harm than good.
This won’t be the case for anyone, but I encourage you to take your sh*t into your own hands. Map out your schedules over the years and by semester. Track your classes and your grades. Apply to internships and find them on your own. Definitely take advantage of on-campus resources, but always keep in mind that you are your main, true, and best advocate.
Interning every summer but not during the year
I am an ambitious, determined person who wanted nothing more than to graduate with my dream editorial job. I ended up graduating with an internship that turned into a great job that I never imagined existed.
Basically, my career goals worked out better than I ever dreamed and I’m so grateful I stuck to doing internships during the summer while focusing the rest of the school year on my studies, social life, on-campus job, and blog. I hate having too much free time in the summer and was able to (sometimes) make a (small) paycheck with my internships, which was awesome.
Summer internships are, of course, (sadly) a privilege. I’m lucky enough to live near New York City and have supportive parents who were willing to sometimes cover my bus fare and always not charge me rent. But even if you’re just doing virtual internships or local ones, I encourage you to do them in the summer and spend the school year enjoying the college experience. I’m so grateful I didn’t spend my fleeting years on campus commuting to and from internships that weren’t always that great.
Adding a last-minute minor
One of the boldest things I did senior year was deciding to add a double minor to my plate during the last few months of school. Fortunately, I had so many credits and extra room for classes that adding an English minor wasn’t a huge deal.
This was also just exciting because I was so passionate about the classes I’d taken for it and was thrilled to have my love and commitment memorialized in a minor…even though, I promise, minors really don’t mean all that much. For example, I also have a digital video editing minor, which is just rotting in a deep corner of my brain somewhere.
Coming in with college credits
This gave me some extra freedom to take electives I was interested in (namely, lots of English classes) and it also allowed me to occasionally lighten my workload by taking four classes per semester instead of five.
I’m especially grateful for my math credits, which allowed me to avoid any and all math classes in college. I only wish I’d come in with science credits that could’ve saved me from environmental issues, one of the worst and hardest classes I’ve ever taken.
Living on campus for all four years
This was never up to negotiation for me, and it was at the top of my mind for every potential college I visited. Sure, the dorms were sweaty sometimes, there was drama here and there, and on two occasions a mouse found their way into my room.
But I wouldn’t trade dorming for anything and I think it seriously helped me develop confidence and a sense of independence I hadn’t had before. I loved having my own space, especially as I was able to eventually live in on-campus houses and have my very own room.
Joining the leadership board of a club
This is such a great way to gain resume experience while you’re still in college. It’s also so freakin’ fun. I was the marketing chair on the campus’ event-planning board, which did concerts, bingo, carnivals, and all sorts of fun events. I learned a lot of random, useful skills and I got to enjoy so much free entertainment and spend time with some pretty great people, too.
Not getting a fake ID
My college was a “bar school,” meaning most of the nightlife revolved around local bars. Even though fake IDs were pretty much the standard, I never bought one … mostly out of fear of getting caught and not wanting to spend money.
Until I turned 21 senior year, I found other ways to have fun with the occasional house parties, having my own parties (with the help of friends who were 21), and even just playing games and watching movies.
What made this so easy was having a lot of friends who also were fine waiting to turn 21 and were more than happy to spend Friday nights talking, eating pizza, and watching “Gossip Girl.” Or attending on-campus events. The comedians and open mic nights were so much fun!
I really don’t think I missed out on much and, when I did turn 21, going out to the bars was extra exciting. I also realized I don’t really like the bars all that much so I wasn’t really missing out.
Starting a blog
Even though eyeliner wings and pretty things is no longer at the peak glory of what it once was, I am so proud of this thing. I was a sophomore in college when I started it and I was making a bit of money!
It also helped me to build my resume and share my words, the latter of which really meant the world to me. It has been so nice to have an outlet to share all of the advice and thoughts I want others, especially fellow college students or high schoolers on their way to college, to know. Being able to share all of this (while working with some of my favorite brands) was incredible.
Starting a blog isn’t for everyone (and it’s NOT easy work!), but I encourage you to embark on a passion project while you’re at school, whether it’s learning a new skill or picking up a side crafting business on Etsy you’ve always dreamed of. It’s an incredible thing to claim ownership of something you’ve worked really hard on.
So, those are the best choices I made in college. What are some of yours so far?
