DISQUS

Ron@TheWisdomJournal · 1 year ago

All great tips. I would caution on the credit card to only get one with a limit that is easily paid off with cash from savings or with a limit that's no more than what you earn in two weeks...after taxes.

If a student doesn't have a job, no credit card in my book.

I wholeheartedly second #7. I took a class called "Great Speakers and Speeches in History" and it was one of my favorites. We took speeches from people as diverse as George Washington, Hitler, Martin Luther King, FDR, and Napoleon and looked at 1) the speaker, 2) the speech, 3) the audience, 4) the occasion, 5) the change that was brought about as a result of the speech. It was indeed fascinating. For the record, that was in 1984 and I STILL remember that class.

Meg from All About Appearances · 1 year ago

I dunno, I majored in Spanish AND Latin and things turned out alright ;D

Great advice! To that I add, get a job or internship of some sort as soon as possible -- though be careful not to overdo it, since classes will have to come first so long as their are things like transcripts. Use the experience to figure out what you want to DO and not just what you want to STUDY, because college ends before you know it and things that are interesting to learn about for a few years may not be what you want to do for a few decades (as I learned from my senior teaching practicum). Plus, the other big benefit is that you'll actually have something to put on your resume when you graduate.

And speaking to both high school and college graduates, if you're looking to start working, do NOT wait till after graduation to start looking. I know some very smart, well-educated people who found the job market a lot tougher than they expected. It can take months, if not years, to find a good job. Start networking early. Work on your resume. Intern where you want to work later if possible. Start inquiring about jobs months ahead of time. Otherwise, you'll find yourself competing with most other graduates at the same time, and find out that many companies will take weeks or months to make a decision. Don't wait for one company to make their decision, look elsewhere and everywhere in the meantime.

Steve (Brip Blap) · 1 year ago

@Ron: That sounds like a cool class. Oratory in general is a weird subject - people value it in politicians, business leaders, etc., yet it's not really taught or studied very often in school. But classes like that DO stick out in your memory in a way that Finance 201 never will...

Greg Coddigus · 1 year ago

Brip Blap this article touched my heart.
I graduated high school last year (Almost exactly one year ago!)
I took college off because I was not ahead 90% of people with scholarships. Actually, I did quite horrible in high school, my grades barely floated above a D (Except in my college courses with literature, always a B+! lol)

Your advice hits home so much. And touches me even more, cause most of it, I have done or have planned to do. So, I'm honored we've come to the same conclusion you being my favorite blogger lol :P (Woo I'm smart!)

Keep on blogging Brip Blap, your nuggets of wisdom for my young age of 18 are motivational!

Speaking of motivation... I might slowly be becoming a motivational speaker... I really like the idea. You know, people like Jim Rohn or Zig Ziglar.

Off I go! (I am backpacking across America this May 27th! Landing in Seattle and going to the East Coastf or the first time ever! Any places of interest that are cool up in NY? Or in general?)

Sorry for the extreme longevity of the comment haha.
-Greg the Writer

Curmudgeon · 1 year ago

Finding out what you like and don't like is an important part of becoming an adult, but I've never heard it described like that before. "Get a well-rounded education!" is what your teachers will tell you, but it's really a matter of learning who you are and finding a place in the world that fits you.

No one ever told me that college was for socialization, so by and large I didn't. I had (have???) poor social skills, which didn't become painfully aware until I was a working adult. College could have helped me greatly in this regard.

Writer's Coin · 1 year ago

College was the best. When I look at college people now I'm just like "guys, this is it. After you graduate you are entering into a world from which there is no escape. Enjoy the lack of responsibilities, and if you absolutely must puke on your shirt, try to keep it off anyone else's shirt."

That's using my inside voice though.

Trent Hamm · 1 year ago

7 hits on something important. Sure, you're in college to get a degree, but the real goal is to figure out what you want to do with your life. Try a lot of stuff - see what gets your motor running. And DON'T ignore it - I did and it was a big mistake.

plonkee · 1 year ago

Another maths graduate. Brilliant. :)

As for picking a subject, do whatever you like, but then spend some time figuring out how to make it work, whether that's classes in other subjects, transferable skills from employment, or volunteering.

Living life to the fullest is the most important thing. That, and be yourself.

Tia · 1 year ago

Excelent list. I think more college students need to be told to take a break and enjoy it. I have a classmate who I worked with for my senior project. She told me that I and the two other girls we worked with were the only friends she'd made during college. I found that incredibly sad. She was the top in our class, perfect grades, etc. but what a price to pay!

I wish I'd seen number 7 when I was still in school, myself. I did take some interesting classes, but a lot of the potential "Ooo, nifty" ones were sacrificed to getting out in four years, which I didn't manage anyway. I could have lived without Japanese Culture Through Film, though. The prof thought good cinema ended in 1950 and silent films are REALLY boring without the pianist accompanying them.

MoneyStand · 10 months ago

I wish someone had sat me down and given me this advice, as Facebook did tend to take over my life at uni, I tell kids these things all the time now, but undergrads will never listen and then when they've finished uni they will tell kids this advice and wish they'd listened!

Vance Lee · 7 months ago

Good ideas!! Be sure to have all the tedious tasks in order before you show up on campus though. Nothing is more frustrating than having to deal with getting all the financial and enrollment stuff after you have already showed up on campus.

As far as selecting a major course of study, making hasty decisions can be extremely costly. Get the basics out of the way as much as possible before locking yourself into a career that you may decide you don't like or won't be beneficial for you 5 years down the road. Do your research.

Backpackerresources · 5 months ago

This is really great and very practical. After finishing school, you can now enjoy your life to the fullest but care not to step on other's toes for your own gain.