Most people who decide to go to college enroll immediately after high school or shortly after… I’m not most people.
Age aside — I’ll be 30 this month — I have found myself on the cusp of attaining a Bachelor of Arts degree. And as the middle of my final semester at UTRGV approaches, I look back at the last three years of my time here and wish there were a few things I would have known.
Holding nothing back, here are five tips I’d offer to those thinking about entering — or re-entering — college.
This definitely makes the top of my list. According to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, one-third of American college students end up switching their major within their first three years of post-secondary education. I was one of them… TWICE! First music, then engineering, and finally — mass communication. I was a statistic.
My recommendation? Worry about your basics first. Most colleges and universities have a general college that you can enroll in if you haven’t yet decided on a major. If you aren’t 100 percent sure about what you want to do, there’s no sense in wasting time — and money — taking classes you can’t use.
What’s a major without a minor… A MAJOR! Is an engineering firm really going to hire me because I got a minor in electrical engineering? Is an accounting firm going to appoint me account executive after taking three classes in business management? Odds are, probably not. I’m not saying minors aren’t important – or useful – but if you’re crunched for time and want to be efficient in finishing school, it’s something to think about.
College is expensive. We all know that. That being said, there’s quite a bit of money out there which can help pay for your path to education. Like to write, draw, paint, or create? Do what you love and enter a scholastic competition to get paid for it! Plus, there are a huge varitety of traditional scholarship and grant opportunities out there. All you need to do is Google them.
Similar to the previous tip, another way to make money, is to save it. There are tons of places out there willing to provide student discounts. You just have to ask! Local businesses around universities or colleges are prime places to get discounts. Or, if you’re like me and prefer to avoid people, websites such as myunidays.com are an awesome way to make sure you’re not missing out on saving some extra dough.
Sure, exercise is great, but that’s not the type of active I’m referring to. I’m talking about putting yourself out there. During my first year, I spent almost all my time alone — or with a small group of friends. Once I decided to stick my head out and join some student organizations, my whole college experience transformed for the better. I learned new skills. I made new friends. And I had fun doing it!
So, that’s everything! I hope these tips help put the American college experience a little into perspective for you. I hope you find at least a few of them useful. But more importantly, if you’re a prospective or current college student, I hope they help you get the greatest, most efficient, college experience you are capable of achieving.
Because as Ben Franklin said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”
What thoughts do you have that you wish you had known when you started college? Leave a comment down below and help save a broke college student!