Part of Grit's "Crib Sheets" series—Your totally local guide to getting through the back-to-school season. Also check out...
* These crazy helpful tips for new CofC students. Some may surprise even you long-time locals...
* 10 smart looks for the school year kids' version. (Stay tuned... hot looks for college kids are coming later in the week...)
Don't rush it. Take a deep breath. Take your time.
If I could give one piece of advice to any college student—freshman or upperclassman—it would be to slow down and enjoy these few years of college. It hasn't been that long since I was there, so I still remember what it was like. And though I seem to think I can still drink like I did in my tenure there, I've been out in the "real world" long enough to offer a few wise words.
I remember calling people who took longer than four years to graduate Van Wilder and now I realize, as does everyone else who quotes that movie, Van Wilder had it right. He stayed in college as long as he could. Now, I'm not saying you should make it a point to drain your or your parents' funds by spending the better part of a decade in college, BUT, you shouldn't be in any hurry to get out.
Here's what you can expect once that time comes: The job market is a joke and the days of your parents simply graduating college and finding a job like it was a penny on the ground are over. You'll have to intern at least twice, not to mention volunteer countless hours to find one of these "entry level" positions listed on job sites that require only five years of experience (five years). The real world is an 8 o'clock class that starts every single weekday, every single one (plus lots of weekends), and the professor rambles on not for an hour, but until five or later.
The real world is making money so one person after another can take it. It's like being a pledge, but forever. Don't get me wrong, it's a great time and you get to do things you never could once you're there, but don't rush college. Take electives. Take Tennis 101 and 102 and 103 if they have it. Take a semester to study abroad. Study hard so you can party harder. Make the most of the few years of college you have. If giving it 100 percent, getting your degree and having a great time takes longer than four years, then that's okay.
Just remember what Van said, "If you take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive."
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