<p>I used to browse CC as a senior in high school -- now I'm a senior in college. </p>
<p>I was recently asked to give someone advice, and I thought I'd share it here. Theres advice for college freshman everywhere. Everyone has their two centsstudy abroad, join clubs, keep your high school boyfriend, dont keep your high school boyfriend </p>
<p>Looking back at all that advice, I think most advice columns are missing three things:</p>
<ol>
<li>Surround yourself with people that inspire you.</li>
</ol>
<p>Surround yourself with people that are smarter, more personable, more passionate, more anything than you. Its surprisingly easy to fall into a crowd of people that just let life happen to them; there are a lot of people out there who are happy being just average. And, you usually become like the people you hang out with.</p>
<p>Im guessing, if youre still reading this far, thats not where you really want to be youd much rather be amazing at something, make an impact somewhere, and be inspiring yourself. The number one thing you can do to become better is spend your time with people that are amazing in some (any!) way.</p>
<ol>
<li>Put yourself in situations that make you uncomfortable. Then, reflect.</li>
</ol>
<p>The smartest people Ive met are incredibly self-aware. They know, for example, what their strengths are and what their weaknesses are; they know how they react under pressure, and can gauge how others will react as well.</p>
<p>So, how do you learn about how you react, and how others will react? No book will teach you that. No personality test is comprehensive enough. I strongly think the best way to learn about yourself is to put yourself in a lot of different, even uncomfortable, situations, and to reflect on them later.</p>
<p>Jump at new opportunities and new experiences. Scared of public speaking? Try it and figure out what youre scared of. Chance to travel? Try it, and see the world from a different perspective. Scared of a science class? Try it. Youre probably not as bad as you think. Chance to meet someone new? New lecture on campus on something you like? Go - the scared never make it far. </p>
<p>After your new experience, just take a second and learn about yourself from it, no matter how trivial it may seem at the time. The very act of reflecting the ability to consciously learn from an experience is a powerful habit in itself.</p>
<ol>
<li>Learn how to take advice.</li>
</ol>
<p>Everything else you need to know is probably contingent on your major/interests/career path. And for this, find the people whove taken your route, and learn from their wisdom and experience. But, too much advice is often more overwhelming than impactful. Pick the two things that really stand out to you and work on them. Then, come back a couple months later and re-evaluate, get more advice, etc. Advice in small, actionable doses is good. The 100 incredibly vague tips for college students not so great. </p>
<p>Need more? Cal Newport (Study</a> Hacks) writes a lot about how to do well in college.</p>
<p>Hope that's helpful!</p>