Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Share The Best Advice For College Students

Make us preferred on Google

While college might be an eye-opening, world-expanding experience for most, others observe the university-going time of their lives as an opportunity to finally get some sleep, sometimes at the expense of class. However, there are many who've walked where they've walked, and they're happy to tell you what they learned after making it out alive.


Reddit user, u/conspiracychannel, wanted the wisest words to follow when they asked:

What's the best advice you can give someone starting college?

Alarms For Every One

Giphy

Use a calendar app to keep track of your classes.

On the first day of class when you receive your syllabus go home that night and input all your important dates(tests, projects, etc) for each class.

YourMooseKing

This is a REALLY good one. Also use the same calendar to keep track of social events, "me" time, study time, etc. Block the time in your calendar, and try to stick to it.

When someone invites you to a thing, and you can look at the calendar and see an empty spot, it's super easy to be able to say yes without hesitation, because you know that you have critical time booked already.

MagicalDrop

Turn Up Notifications To Full

Check your goddamn email

Perhaps I should elaborate a little bit more because a lot of you are making some great suggestions. I go to a "paperless" state university so everything is done through some portal or another. I have had entire assignments done through email, if I hadn't checked then I would have gotten a 0.

This is my 4th year at school and I've been an RA for 3 years now. It is so incredibly surprising to me that every year i have a handful of freshman tell me that they didn't get the notice because they don't check their emails!! I have my email on both of my computers, my phone, and my tablet and I check it at least once an hour every day of the week (again because everything at my university is through email/internet). Some of you may have slightly different experiences but this is the reason behind my comment.

iJabber

50 Is More Than 0. That's Just Math.

Giphy

It's better to try and do something 50% than to just not try, don't let the fear of failure stop you from doing something.

If you fall behind it's so easy to just let it consume you but you need to claw yourself out of that mindset inch by inch

Robin-flying

Protective Footing

Wear sandals in the shower.

People are disgusting

DudeAtWork55

A Place To Lay Your Head

Make sure your dorm is your safe-haven.

You'll always be able to find social events and parties, but you don't want that becoming the place where you sleep at night

Probswatchingsports

Ask A Question

Giphy

If you don't understand something, speak up. You are not the only one with the same question. It's far more important to stay on track than to look ~cool~ in front of your peers.

If you're intimidated by talking in class- take advantage of your professors office hours. Building that relationship and showing I was trying saved my ass a time or two.

elizaBusiness

This One's For Everyone In Your Dorm

Do NOT microwave fish in your room.

thermonuclearmuskrat

Use All Available Resources

Take advantage of professor's office hours. When I was in college, I didn't want to be a needy pain in the arse so I didn't bother to get to know more than just one of my profs.

My daughter just graduated college, and before the ceremony, we went to her school of business department brunch.

I was shocked what a valued relationship she had with her profs. Life long friendship happening there. They love her and have sound advice that I could never provide to her.

So use your resources.

The last piece of advice I can give you is that you will make your best friends in college. Life will happen and you will lose touch a bit. Then more life happens and you will reconnect and continue to have the time of your lives together.

Stabfacenotback

Do What You're Interested In

Giphy

Take advantage of summer internships in a field that you actually see a future in, rather than working ones that don't interest you on the merit of them paying more. (Edit: If you can afford to do so)

It can be really tough to break into certain lines of work after college, and a number of these bottom of the totem pole positions are only offered to current undergrads or very recent graduates. I can't emphasize enough how much a leg up you'll be giving yourself in life if you seek out these types of opportunities while you're still in school.

StanzoBrandFedoras

Sometimes, A College Might Just Be A College

BE SMART WITH MONEY!!!

Enjoy the experience, meet people, study abroad if possible, but dont go to a Harvard-price school for a degree that is useless in the real world

Kayano905

You Know, That Thing You're Supposed To Be Doing...

Go to class.

It's easy to fall in the habit because of the potential fun out of class activities. It's not high school. They aren't going to come figure out why you are missing class. You'll just fail out. I saw way too many smart people who just couldn't resist the party and late night life and failed out of school. You keep the debt and you have nothing to show for it.

terayonjf

It's All On You

Giphy

College gives literally zero sh-ts about you. You can skip classes, you can text in class, you can eat in class, you can walk out of class, you can avoid your homework, you can fail tests. They do not care. You need to have the motivation and self discipline to get your a-- to class, pay attention, and do your homework.

Edit: wow, this blew up. Okay, this obviously is a case to case basis. It depends on the school, on the class, on the professor, on the year. Your situation might be different. That's fine! My point is you are not babysat like you are in high school. While you are cared about, it isn't to the extent it has been for the past twelve years.

CrysCatCrys

More from People

Florence Pugh; sign for Cornell University; Josh Gad
Jason Mendez/Getty Images for Netflix; Matt Burkhartt/Getty Images; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Disney

Florence Pugh And Josh Gad Lead Celebrity Outrage After Cornell Frat Members Assigned Essays As Punishment For Sexual Assault

About a week ago, the story of the "Cornell 7" allegations broke publicly when a civil lawsuit was filed by a former Cornell University student known only as Jane Doe. The lawsuit detailed an October 2024 sexual assault at the Chi Phi fraternity house and Cornell University's handling of the assault after it was reported to school officials.

The public backlash against the seven rapists and four university officials named in the suit, as well as Cornell University, the Ivy League, and fraternities as a whole has been swift. Many people have shared their own experiences with institutions of higher learning and the mishandling of sexual assaults.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Luanne James
WKRN News 2/YouTube

Heroic Tennessee Librarian Sues After Being Fired For Refusing To Hide LGBTQ+ Books From Kids

Luanne James, the former library director of Tennessee's Rutherford County, has filed a lawsuit against the county's library board after she was terminated for refusing to move LGBTQ+ books from the children's section to the adult section.

The board’s decision to move the roughly 100 children’s books to the adult section followed a statewide “age-appropriateness review” ordered the previous year by Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett, a Republican.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images

Trump Hit With Blistering Factcheck After Making Patently False Claim About Prices Going 'Way Down'

President Donald Trump was swiftly fact-checked by CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale after he claimed to members of the press that "almost every price has come way down" following Joe Biden's presidency.

Earlier in the day, Trump bragged to reporters that the United States has the "best poverty," sparking immediate criticism. He continued to lie later, even as inflation remains above the level recorded when Biden left office, economic growth has slowed, and the cost of filling a gas tank has surged roughly 50% since the war against Iran began.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Donald Trump in campaign ad
U.S. Government

Trump's Latest Government-Funded Campaign Ad Just Aired On National TV—And Critics Are Crying Foul

President Donald Trump and the White House are facing criticism after Fox aired a new taxpayer-funded campaign ad that was "paid for by the U.S. government" several times over the weekend.

The black-and-white ad uses slowed footage of Trump walking through a hallway, accompanied by his voiceover pledging that "this is the final battle." It ran during at least two of Fox’s Sunday NFL broadcasts, appearing during the Washington Commanders-Seattle Seahawks game and the Carolina Panthers-Cleveland Browns matchup, as well as on Fox News.

Keep ReadingShow less
Paulina Porizkova speaks candidly about aging and the expectations placed on women as they grow older.
@paulinaporizkov/Instagram

Paulina Porizkova Speaks Out About How Women Are 'Expected To Go Silent' As They Get Older In Powerful Video

Paulina Porizkova knows what it’s like to have all eyes on her. The supermodel rose to fame in the 1980s, but at 61, she’s speaking candidly about what happens when society stops looking at women the same way.

The Czech-born model became a fixture in fashion and beauty, from back-to-back Sports Illustrated Swimsuit covers in 1984 and 1985 and a longtime partnership with Estée Lauder to a stint behind the judges’ table on America’s Next Top Model.

Keep ReadingShow less