15 Things Former College Students Would Have Done Differently If They Could Have A Re-Do
Four years of college fly by faster than you think. It's of the most expensive investments you'll ever make in your life. If you're lucky you will be debt free but most of us take out hefty loans for the college experience. People say it's the best and worst time of your life. It's riddled with a mix of late-night study sessions, parties, anxiety, crushes, lectures, running, failing, succeeding and a whole lot of questioning what you want to do for the rest of your life. Reddit user u/gottalovecarina was also questioning so they asked, "If you could do college over, what would you do different?" in a recent Reddit thread. A bunch of former students chimed in with tips that they wish their former selves had known, like considering community college. There is no shame in going to community college and saving money. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. So whether you're starting a new semester, planning to apply for university sometime in the future or just want a little reminisce about the college days, here are the most memorable responses to this viral thread.
-
1
"Learn how to study properly, join a study group, and ask for help when needed instead of trying to trudge through alone."
Study buddies are the best. I was always so grateful that the fellow students in my major liked to get together before big exams and study in the library. Shoutout to my PAMs! (performing arts management majors).
-
Advertisement
-
2
"Make it a point to get to know your professors more"
"Honestly, just do the work and get to know your professors a bit. There's no secret. Looking back, the students who truly excelled weren't all geniuses or anything. They just consistently showed up, did their work, and socialized enough with the professors to be likable and memorable. As it turns out, this formula also leads to success in your career post-university."
-
3
"Become a master at networking"
"I would have networked like crazy. I am a pretty introverted person, and I always hated trying to schmooze with people. And I always told myself, 'Well, if I have good grades and a good resume, then it won't matter who I know for getting a job. I was wrong."
-
4
"Realize school can actually feel like a full-time job and should be treated as such"
"Get into the habit of treating it like a full-time job. If I'd consistently dedicated 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to going to class and studying [or] doing homework, I would've ended up studying way more than I did. Plus, I would've had more time for guilt-free socializing, partying, and miscellaneous unproductive putzing around."
-
Advertisement
-
5
"Consider going to community college first to help save some cash while you finish your general education"
"Doing it this way has absolutely no effect on your bachelor's degree and saves you thousands of dollars. There is absolutely no shame in going to a community college."
-
6
"Make an appointment with your advisor regularly for advice on class scheduling and more"
"See an advisor! My dad's advice in college was to fill up your classes with other stuff that looked cool, and all I did was waste his money and my time when I could have graduated three semesters before I dropped out. Seriously make a plan and stick to it."
-
7
"Be open to switching your major if it's not working out for you"
"Take it more seriously and maybe choose a different major. It's never too late to realize what you really want to do."
-
Advertisement
-
8
"Explore the extracurriculars your campus offers"
"Take more advantage of the really amazing lectures and seminars my school offered. I definitely applied myself to classes, but there was so much extracurricular academic content I could have taken advantage of."
-
9
"Learn to embrace being truly yourself"
"It will sound cheesy, but be myself. Tried so hard to 'recreate' myself in college and view it as a fresh start. It would have been much more enjoyable if I didn't try so hard to be someone else and just had fun."
-
10
"Feeling extra motivated or can't pick just one thing to study? Opt to do a double major"
"I wish I did a double major so I didn't have to pay for a bunch electives that didn't help me even a little in my career."
-
Advertisement
-
11
"Speed up your graduation day by taking extra units over the summer"
"Go to school throughout the summer and graduate faster. Graduating early saved money and I was so ready to get out"
-
12
"Try stepping out of your comfort zone"
"Go out and make more friends, go to all the stuff that I was invited to even if I didn't know anyone too well, hang out with different groups of people. Just overall be more outgoing and open to new experiences. I became that in grad school, and it made a world of difference."
-
13
"Moving for school? Think of what it would be like making it your home post-grad day"
"Choose a school in a location where I'd like to end up living afterward. You make a lot of contacts during your time in school and any internships you may have while there, and lose quite a bit of their usefulness if you then relocate to a different geographic region."
-
Advertisement
-
14
"If traditional college isn't quite the right fit for you, apply to a trade school instead or explore other paths that may interest you more"
"I wouldn't have gone to college. It was something I did because I was supposed to, not because there was something I had a genuine interest in studying. So much money was spent on tuition and fees that could've been used elsewhere. I made a lot of great friends and got good job opportunities, but so did my cousins who went for trade/blue collar work out of high school."
-
15
"It's never too late to decide to go to college"
"If I could start over again I'd go to college instead of deciding to wait a decade."
Like what you see? Find more hilarious women's memes and crazy stories on our Instagram @Cheezcake_Humor and more videos on our YouTube Channel
Like what you see? Find more hilarious women's memes and crazy stories on our Instagram @Cheezcake_Humor and more videos on our TikTok @cheezcaked
Tags
Next on CheezCake
Comments
Hot Today