We all want to make the most out of our college experience. But just like any other stage of life, this precious time will slip away and be over before we know it. For a lot of us, I’m sure this is a relieving statement (no more studying? Thank whatever deity you acknowledge, right?). But for those of you who don’t feel like you’ve really had that “ideal” college experience, I’m sure you’re starting to feel the pressure to make the most of your remaining “college sentence” count. Having finished up my first four years of this crazy little thing called “the college experience”, I have discovered the top five things I find to be the most important to be on the “college bucket list”. Here they are:
Make the Honor Roll
Whether it be the Dean’s List, the Presidents list, or just a quarterly honor roll system it’s important to feel like you’re succeeding in this stage of life. Even if you only make it once or twice, it is still important to the college experience to have your intelligence and skills validated. This is a scary stage of life, it’s nice to feel accomplished on occasion.
This stage of life is often plagued by feelings of self-doubt and figuring out who we are. Sure, a lot of people go to college knowing exactly what they want to study and what they want to do with the rest of their lives. But for a lot of us, college is somewhere to figure it out. This is the time of your life to experiment with what you like. Take different types of classes (you probably need electives anyway) and broaden your mind and interests. You never know until you try. You won’t be good at everything. Don’t sweat it. Try something else.
Don’t Just Party- Find Where You Fit Socially
Let’s be honest, a lot of people meet their future spouses and lifelong best friends in college. This is the time to figure out who will make up your social circle into your adulthood, both in the way of friends and lovers. Sure, a lot of people will pass through your life and become mere Facebook buddies after school (if that), but this is the time to figure out the kind of people you want to keep in your life into adulthood. It’s about making connections (both for friendships and work connections) and figuring out where you belong socially.
Take as Many Internships as You Can Handle
Experiment with internships and see where you think you’ll fit into the workforce early. You might even discover you dislike the jobs available to you with your chosen major (better now than after you’ve finished a degree that put you in debt). Plus, while a good GPA is important, the experiences look even better on your resume.
Chill Out- This is Only the Beginning
No matter how life changing and stressful this time of your life is, it is important to remember that it is merely the beginning. Before you know it, college will be over and you’ll be moving onto the next stage of your life. Remember to take it easy and make it count.
