Before you go away to college, you will given plenty of advice from your family members and friends. For example, “College is the time of your life”, “Keep your door open during the first week of school”, and “Wear closed toed shoes to a frat party”. Some of the sayings you will hear are useful, some are vague, and some are just flat out ridiculous. Often certain questions are left unanswered so that you, the college student, can discover it on your own. This may leave you feeling like a hiker lost in the woods without a flashlight. While you could dive right in sometimes it is nice to have the words of others act as your guide. But whose words should listen to? Your favorite musician? Your local pastor? The crazy guy on the subway preaching about Armageddon? How about philosophers?

Ah, philosophy, the headache waiting to happen or not happen or could it happen...What is Life? To prevent the imminent existential crisis from consuming you as your parents drive away, I have compiled a list of useful aphorisms from philosophers past and present with a little commentary on how they could apply to your college experience.

1. “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it,” - Aristotle.

In college, you will encounter countless people that will have opinions that range from a reaffirmation of your beliefs or ones that you could not believe a person could even think of. You have to remember that the people you meet are from all over the world and will all have different beliefs. The people that are increasing the political polarization on college campuses could learn a thing or two from Aristotle.

2. “The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently,” - Friedrich Nietzsche

Being able to think differently is a trait that college professors love and encourage. In college, it is important to challenge the ideas of the past. Without this challenge new ideas will never be thought and old ideas will never change. I am not advocating the Nietzschean nihilistic tract of completely disregarding those who think similarly. But it is important to think differently or else you could just become another brick in the wall.

3. “The beginning is the most important part of the work,” - Plato

For all those who have let a due date go in one ear and out the other, this aphorism is for you. The anxiety and pressure that amounts the night before an assignment is due is greater than any philosopher could have imagined. Always remember to start your projects early and do not save them for the last moment.

4. I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think,” - Socrates

I have always held the belief that college classes give you the definitions to the ideas you have always thought of but could not explain in a few words. Teachers are not there just to fill you with facts so that you can write them a nice paper by rewriting said facts. They present you with lessons and leave it to you to think about them. Thinking is crucial in life but especially in college. You will be given an endless amount of choices with your new freedom. Don’t just go with the flow, think about what you are doing/about to do before you do it.

5. “Three o'clock is always too late or too early for anything you want to do,” - Jean-Paul Sartre

This aphorism is pretty self explanatory. 3:00 AM is the time to put down the research paper/Natty Light and get some sleep. 3:00 PM is also much too early to start partying (Sorry Darties, Daygers, and Pregames, it’s true).

6. “We forfeit three-fourths of ourselves in order to be like other people,” -Arthur Schopenhauer

College is a time to find yourself. No matter how cliche that sounds, it is true. While we may have spent our high school careers trying to be just like everyone else to fit in, in college, that does not matter. Being like other people will only leave you bored and with little to talk about.

7. “Kind words do not cost much. Yet they accomplish much,” - Blaise Pascal

I have always hated the phrase, “Nice guys finish last”. It is often said by self interested morons who try to justify their cruelness. Being a nice person in college will get you far. People remember how you treated them for the rest of their lives.

8. “What worries you, masters you,” - John Locke

This aphorism speaks volumes. There will be an overload of anxiety dropped on you as you start college. You will spend more time worrying than trying to solve the problem that caused the worrying. The best advice for this is to not let the anxiety of the small things worry you

9. “The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time,” - Bertrand Russell

You need “down time” in college. While you are paying a lot of money for this relaxation, it is necessary to let your brain take a break. College is a time for studying but it also is a time for exploring, trying new things, and having fun. I personally recommend if your college is in a safe area to get lost in the surrounding area. You may discover your new favorite book store, a cheap coffeehouse, or even the perfect first date location.

10. "The world would be happier if men had the same capacity to be silent that they have to speak,” - Baruch Spinoza

While I may be taking this quote out of context, I believe what Spinoza has to say about silence also pertains to listening to others. It goes to that basic rule in class: when someone else is speaking you listen and then you respond. While watching the news can make you weary about whether people actually follow this rule, in college it is essential to listen before you talk. No one likes the guy/girl that interrupts the speaker in the middle of his point.

11. “The possible ranks higher than the actual,” - Martin Heidegger

I will end this article with this aphorism. Our dreams and aspirations guide us through life whether we have followed into college or not. Everything is possible in college. You want form a club for young poets to showcase their work around campus? It’s possible. You want to follow your dream and perform live on a stage? It’s possible. You want to write articles about random topics that interest you and hopefully captivate others? It’s 100% possible.