By Lindsey • 8 Comments
Whether you're an incoming freshman or approaching your senior year, pay attention to these mistakes college students make and be sure to steer clear of them. They say that your college years are the best years of your life, and whether that may or may not be true, you might as well take the steps so that they're at least the best four years yet. College is truly what you make it, and our hope is that you make it the best experience you can. Take a look at some of these mistakes college students make and be ahead of the curve:
One of the worst mistakes college students make is falling by the wayside. Becoming involved on campus and joining a group or club whether it's Greek or academic is something you should definitely look into. Groups are a great place to meet people, build your resume, and network. You're missing out on so many opportunities by staying in the shadows instead of making a name for yourself, so the next time your campus hosts an activities and organizations fair, get over there STAT!
The saying is "work hard, play hard", not "play hard, work a little bit". Remember that you actually need to pass your coursework in order to graduate, so partying like there's no tomorrow could actually mean you don't have much of a promising tomorrow. While some may argue that employers don't look at grades, that's definitely not always the case. and some internship programs/employers won't even consider your application if you don't meet their GPA requirements. Hit the books hard, and then reward yourself with a fun weekend.
College campuses are much smaller worlds than you think. I've heard so many horror stories about people getting into arguments because someone hooked up with someone else's prospect or frequent hook-up, making things so much messier than they need to be. Not to mention, hooking up with multiple people can earn you a bad reputation, so before you decide to go home with the guy you just met at the bar, think twice about whether or not it's really worth it to you.
Your entire college career should be seen as a networking/resume building opportunity. Some people get their first internship junior year, while others have even gotten one sophomore year. Internships often lead to full-time positions, so jump on sites like internmatch.com and indeed.com as often as you can and apply, apply, apply.
If you've got a bad feeling about your usual crew/roommates and they're bringing you down, find a new crew. There are so many different types of people on a college campus, and by joining different clubs (see what I meant before?) or hitting up different spots on the weekend, you could end up meeting a whole new group of people that actually lift you up instead. Don't worry about severing ties with your old friends--college is too short to be unhappy.
We all have our quirks, but think about how your actions could be affecting your roommate. College dorm rooms and even apartments can seem impossibly small at times, so always remember to clean up after yourself and be mindful of how your late night hours/noise level/rowdy friends could be upsetting your roomie.
Don't get stuck in a rut when it comes time for an academic reference when you're applying to jobs because you sat in the back of the classroom and did the bare minimum each semester. Go to your professor's office hours, participate in class, and make sure they know your name. Sometimes a killer letter of recommendation can be what sets you apart from all the other candidates.
College really is such a fun and exciting time, but not making the best of it is one of the worst things you can do. Getting involved, working hard, and forming good relationships will set you up for an awesome college career. We hope that these tips will help make those four years especially memorable. What tips do you have for college students?