We all make mistakes. Otherwise, how would we know what we should and shouldn't do in the future? We learn from the things we did wrong the first time around, and now I am here to give you a list of 7 things I will never do again, so hopefully, you never have to do them in the first place.
1. Pay full price for textbooks.
During my freshman year of college, I literally spent over $600 on textbooks for my Gen Eds my first semester - not even upper-level courses. Fortunately, I have now learned of cheaper services like Chegg and Amazon textbook rentals so that I'll never have to waste that much money again.
2. Go out to the bars without eating.
This is a rookie mistake made by people who think not eating all day will make up for the calories consumed during a night out. I can tell you from experience, this is not a wise idea. Eat something carby before you go out like bread that will be able to serve as some substance before you start drinking. Trust me, the extra calories are better than a night on the toilet. Just hit the gym the next day - just not the UCF gym.
3. Go to the UCF gym.
The UCF gym is great when it comes to providing a lot of options for equipment. The problem is that there are too many people. The UCF gym makes working out an even bigger chore than it already is: You have to find parking, scan your entire hand at the entrance and type in your PID, find a locker for your things and write down the combination, and then wait for the machine you want while awkwardly choosing a different one nearby to keep your eye on it without looking like a stalker. If your apartment complex offers a small gym, just work out there, or you go for runs around your neighborhood and buy weights for at home.
4. Take a class that doesn't go toward my degree.
This mistake is just the product of not visiting an academic advisor when I should have. For some reason, I decided to enroll in random classes throughout college that I didn't realize were meaningless and didn't even go toward my degree. Now, I know knowledge is priceless, but that's money I could have spent on credit hours I actually needed.
5. Eat fast food because it's "cheap."
This was a mistake I made a lot back in the day. It's tempting to eat Taco Bell and McDonald's because it's fast and cheap. However, your body will not thank you. I decided to stop eating fast food and spend a little more on healthy groceries, and I am definitely grateful that I made the switch.
6. Eat meat.
This is definitely just a personal choice, but I stopped eating meat about two years ago, and I'm so glad that I did. Initially, I chose to become a vegetarian to lose some weight, but I can't explain how much better I've felt since cutting out meat from my diet. I don't see myself eating any more meat in the future since I feel great and am an avid animal lover.
7. Work in food service.
I only worked in food service for about a week (I didn't even finish orientation), and I can promise you that I never will again. I have so much respect for those who work in the food service after spending a week at that job, and I'm definitely not cut out for it. I'll stick to what I know from now on: art and writing.
