Four (five) years. Thousands of dollars in loans. Books, portfolios, reports, and projects. All which earned me the valuable document known as a college diploma. The education I received definitely influenced my career direction, thanks to some very influential and knowledgeable professors and peers which were second to none.
However what collaborates with the education and is more cherished, in my opinion, than the school education is the education you receive through your experiences. What colleges don't advertise is the time you are going to spend off campus with friends who last a lifetime. Through all the good times and bad times, the ups and downs, and everything in between, you find out more about yourself as an individual and your supporting cast that you never thought you would discover.
Many people attend college, but everyone's stories are different. Many people go to the bar, the games, the clubs, the library, the scenic destinations; but every place has its unique twist. The course material you learn will be reiterated day in and out as your career progresses, but the friends you make will constantly be a growing connection with more memories being created as time moves on.
If there's a piece of advice worth a d*mn I can give to any incoming college students, this is it:
Don't sell yourself short. Make the most out of the time you have while learning where your life is heading. Try new things. Travel in your spare time. Drink beer. Treat your professors respectfully, but not so much like a dictator; be friendly with them. If you need a job, wait tables - it helps with public speaking and shows you can handle money; and a lot of your friends will be in the same boat. Don't be afraid to take risks. There will be hard times, either with people and relationships or with school work; just stay confident and push through it, this is how you learn to deal with adversity and stress. Drink beer. Don't expect a reasonably close parking spot (ESPECIALLY if you go to Coastal). Equip yourself with a rain jacket/umbrella (again, ESPECIALLY if you go to Coastal). And you know, do good in school and all that.
