Ever wonder how life would have been if you had, say, taken a year long break between high school and college?
Yeah, me, too.
Here within the last year, I have been thinking hardcore about my degree (communications) and while I do love what I learned at APSU during my time there, I sometimes wish that I could go back and really think about what I wanted to do "when I grew up."
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy journalism and whatnot, but within the last few years, I have become really passionate about wellness and holistic health, so while I sit here writing this, I think "Man, I could totally have been halfway done with chiropractic school" or whatever else I am interested in.
There are several things that I wish I had done during my time in college, and while many of you readers are still venturing down the halls of academia, I thought I may shed some light on some pointers I wish I would have taken advantage of:
1. Find a good advisor
I mean it. I was randomly placed with one, and I really wish I had searched out the advisor that could really help me with what I could end up doing as a career. I know that sometimes advisors can be a real pain, however the right one can really help strike gold in the experience that is college.
2. Take advantage of the first two years
The first two years of college are full of prerequisites to your main courses in addition to some introductory classes that are applicable to your major of choice, so take the opportunity to take some classes here and there in different disciplines to determine what you want to do. Also, don't be afraid of taking a course for fear of not enjoying it. The worse thing that happens is you figure out you don't like it, and drop the course after the first two weeks. Some of you might say "well not all of us can do that because we pay for class out of pocket". Well, so did I, and I really wish I had taken a few other classes now to get a better feel for what I want to do and not be going back to school later. Better to waste a few hundred dollars than to be stuck with a degree that you have to live with.
3. Don't be afraid to take a gap year
So this one is a bit controversial. A lot of people I knew in high school planned on taking a year between college and high school to work and save money or travel. I believe that gap years are fine, however in order for it to just be a year, you need to be productive. Instead of just working full time and not really investing in your future career, take some time to research career options, get an internship (even if it is not paid) and figure out if you are interested in that field, or go ahead and set your mind to a school and get the admissions criteria in line so that during the gap year, you can travel or do whatever, but at the end of that year, you can jump back on the wagon and get your life together. I truly believe that a gap year can be useful, however in the wrong hands, it can really mess up a career goal.
4. Don't let finances get in your way
Now, obviously there are limitations to this, in my opinion. I wouldn't say to get yourself bogged down in $50-$100,000 of student loans, but be smart. Your degree is your future, and you should want to invest in your future. Taking out a loan isn't the end of the world, and it shouldn't stop you from getting your degree. Being smart is key. For example, the two years of free community college is a thing now here in Tennessee, so if you are just coming out of high school and live here, use it. That is two years of core and intro classes covered! I wish I could have done that. Then at that point, you could save enough to take care of tuition if you are working diligently. Where there is a will, there's a way.
All in all, looking back I wish I could make a lot of changes in terms of school. I wish I could have focused more and really put myself out there within academia, but after it is all said and done, my words to you future or current students is this: it is okay to not know what you want to do when you graduate from high school, and it is better to be sure than to waste four years of college curriculum on something you didn't want to do in the first place for fear of not achieving better. Believe in yourself, be true to your own self. Take it from someone who knows.