I graduated from college awhile ago, but I’d like to share my advice on college with you.  I hope it helps you in your future scholastic endeavors.  I also hope it helps you succeed in Life.

Financing Your Education

Sorry to be such a downer, but this is a reality that not only haunts you now, but will later as well.  You should know that higher education is a great big money-making scheme.  Your professors are paid handsomely, and it’s a great gig for them.  Make sure you’re getting your money’s worth, too.  First of all, consider community college.  If you get the first two years of your education for little or no money, your student loan will be considerably smaller than your friend who financed his or her Ivy League education off of one big loan.  Want a reality check?  Four years of college tuition plus living costs could easily equal $180,000.  That’s a lot of money, and if you can’t get a great-paying job right away, it might force you to move back in with Mom and Dad.  Is this really what you want to do?  Also, take it from someone who struggled to pay back student loans, if you borrow too much money, your choice of jobs will be limited.  You won’t be able to take a really great job just for the valuable experience.  You’ll have to aim for the big bucks right away, whether it compromises your ethics or not.

Study Something You Love

Going back to Mom and Dad, I know they want you to become a doctor, lawyer or engineer.  But is this really what you love to do?  If it is, then go for it, full speed ahead.  If it’s not, you’re wasting your time and your money.  And when you’re young, you have all kinds of energy and enthusiasm.  Use both to develop what it is you really want to do.  I know there are all kinds of buzz out there about switching careers at the drop of a hat.  You know what?  When you’re married with a kid, that’s a very difficult thing to do, and remember do what you really love now, before the spouse and kid come along.

Study Seriously

Frat parties and beer blasts are great, but how about saving them for the summer?  Trust me, after you get out of school you will have a lot more demands on your time than you do now.  If you hate your college or university, at the end of your first year you should seriously look into transferring elsewhere.  I wouldn’t take the Carrot Top approach to higher education and attend a few hundred different colleges.  But, remember, you’re paying for this, even if your mom or dad is footing the bill, which for most of us is unlikely, you’re paying with your time spent there.  Spend it wisely.