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<p>I haven’t posted on these CC forums in over a year, but this post got my blood boiling to the point that I needed to throw my two cents in:</p>
<p>College is meant to be fun, many people call it the best four years of their lives, many make the friends and networks that will stick with them for years to come, and many find their significant other at some point during this time. The late-nights, the drinking, and the romance are great parts of college that I think are being ignored. </p>
<p>A little background on myself: I’m currently a junior at a local liberal arts college double majoring in Econ and Computer Science. I’ve got a 3.86 GPA and am taking the LSAT and June just to see what I can do (I really don’t care either way about law school at this point). I am currently in between jobs for about two months, but for the rest of my time at college, I’ve worked at least 20 hours/wk during the school year. Furthermore, I’ve been in a relationship for almost two years. </p>
<p>In high school I was a total nerd: studied non-stop, straight A’s, valedictorian, the whole shebang…but I would trade it in for awesome social experiences I’ve had in the last three years - great new friends, amazing parties, started a business - and much more. I’ve studied a couple hours for a final, driven to three hours to and three hours back from a concert…just in time to take the exam on 48 hours of no sleep…and I still did peachy keen. I study when I have to, turn in graded work, etc, but I’ve taken exams hungover, exams on no sleep, and have done homework drunk. There is little grade inflation at my school, and my two majors are notoriously difficult, so how do I do it? </p>
<p>Here are my tips to success in college:
- Stop stressing over grades as much as you did in high school! Relax, realize that for the most part, your GPA in college stops mattering after a few years. </p>
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<li><p>Figure out your professors - Get an idea of what they expect, what you can shirk, who gives grades based on raw performance and who grades on effort, etc. If you know a prof doesn’t care about assigned reading…well then skip it and focus on a prof who’s going to quiz you on the latest chapter of your current textbook. </p></li>
<li><p>Participate in social activities - doesn’t have to be school related, just get out and see the world! </p></li>
<li><p>Party - Some of the best ideas and best friendships I have made have come on drunk & belligerent nights in some random apartment. Drunken conversations at 2am, meeting tons of new people, and of course the bonding experience that is the next-day hangover. Even if drinking isn’t your thing, parties are like the country clubs of college…it’s where the real work gets done. </p></li>
<li><p>Learn to Write - Yes, it does take some talent to pull a high GPA, and I owe everything I have to my ability to write well. If you can master this skill, term papers, essay exams, and the like will seem insignificant to you. The better you write, the easier classes become. I remember my sophomore year the students in a class I had freaking out over a term paper that had been assigned since the start of the year. People were prepping and whatnot weeks and months in advance. Yet, I took a couple hours the night before it was due and churned out an A paper…using the extra time I saved for more interesting pursuits. </p></li>
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<p>Bottom Line: you want a lackluster college experience, then by all means follow the quoted advice. However, if you actually want to enjoy college, then I would recommend taking a step back, de-stressing, and realize that the grades will come, but you are allowed to enjoy yourself in the process.</p>