College Advice
Chad Lennon
August 2003
There are many guides on how to make your way through college with as few troubles as possible; there is even one on this very site. Mine, however, is very different. I am actually through with school, and other than maybe taking some refresher courses later on, I will be avoiding the classroom like the plague. Since our site caters to college students, I felt in necessary to have more than one angle on the college experience. So hold on to your seats kids; this could be informative
First off, college is not for everyone. Despite what you may have been told, you do not need a degree to make it though life. Also, much of what you hear about college, study habits and the like apply only to those going to larger colleges or even the “Ivy Leagues,” but the fact is that many of you are not. Many people go to a community college to get an associate’s degree or attend a smaller four-year university. This guide is for those people.
Picking your major is far more important than where it is you go to school. All students should have a firm grasp on what they want to do by the end of their freshman year at the absolute latest. An associate’s degree in “General Studies” is worth as much as a “Certificate of Excellence” in a spelling contest. I have been working in retail for quite a while now and have looked over many applications. I see many people get a degree in “general studies” and that is the extent of their college education. If you plan to get such a degree, save yourself the money and get a job now; at least you will start building credit. Once you have selected a major, you can then start looking into which college will work for you, and do not go thinking that you need to go straight to a four-year school. Many such institutions propagate the lie that you will get an inferior education if you start out at a two-year community college, which is false. If there is a quality community college in your area, go there and after talking with the counselors at both the university and the community college, see which classes at the community college will transfer to your degree plan at the university. This can prove difficult as some counselors tend to be of shady character and will try to skew information to confuse you, which is why you might want to consider bringing your parents along as well. Some of you may think I am being a bit harsh, but my counselor tried to steer me and others away from pursuing a career in photography and graphic design, which, of course, did not please the professors in that department. College counselors are meant to help you get a degree in the field you want to work in, not change your career plan.
So here you are in school working towards your degree and it comes time for actual classes and studying. Many guides to college have equations that tell you how much study time you will need for each class. These say something to the effect of 2–3 hours per class you take, which if you have five classes you will need to study probably 40 hours a week. This is, of course, insane. Many of you are working your way through college and the only conceivable way to pull this off to do without sleep entirely. Most college kids do not have incredibly wealthy parents that will cover every financial need (or want) that comes up. No, you are working a part-time or maybe even full-time job to get your way through your academic career. Well the fact is that not all classes or even degree plans have that kind of workload and if they do, they need to change it. The most important thing to do in class is listen to what your professor is saying when he or she gives a lecture. You can even invest in a small recorder in case you want to hear it again, if you are worried about missing something. I know this can be hard, especially if that cute blonde has been eyeing you all period, but you need to pay attention and your desires can wait. Also, do not bother writing everything that the professor says. Taking good notes involves getting the main ideas and concepts; your notes should look more like an outline for a research paper—not paragraphs of jumbled ideas. When it comes to study time, you can just go over the key points and not spend hours trying to memorize disconnected facts.
This all comes to my last and most important point, having fun. By no means do I think that you should not take your education seriously, but if you do not have some free time away from school, you will be a psychopath before your first year is up. Let it be known that stressed out people do not perform well on tests, thus increasing their stress. Do you see the downward spiral here? So be it joining the fraternity/sorority or some other school-related activity, just make sure that recreation is a key part of your college life. College is meant to be a fun and wonderful experience, but only if you let it be. Just don’t spend too much time having fun or you will wake up with a hang-over looking at your clock realizing that class ended two hours ago. Since I do not really condone drunken partying, even meeting friends at the local IHOP or playing video games will do just nicely—anything to take your mind off the stress of school for a few blissful hours before you have to drag yourself back to studying or to class.
It is my hope that everyone enjoys his or her experience in college life, but it is not always easy and the road can get bumpy at times. Knowing this, be prepared for the best and sometimes, the worst times of your life. It is up to you.
Copyright © 2008 
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