10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started College

So many people spend college floundering, and it's a waste of opportunities and resources. You're at school to prepare yourself for adult life, and if you graduate and do not really know what you want to do for work, it's like starting a race a few minutes after everyone else. The sooner you know what you want to do for work, the better position you are in professionally. The students who make connections and get internships early on are the ones who will most likely have entry-level jobs from the company of their choice when they graduate, because they were four years ahead of everyone else.

When you think you know what industry you want to work in cold email people you admire, beginning with alumni (if there are any) and professionals who are geographically close to you, and ending with your dream company and idol; ask them if you can buy them a cup of coffee for 15 minutes of their time. People love to give advice to students, and are more willing to give advice during this time of your life than when you become a working professional, so take advantage of that and meet as many people as you can, and maintain those connections. Who you know is at least as important.

You won't know until you have spent time working in an industry if you will want to work in it after you graduate. Apply for an internship or job in a field you're interested in while you're still in school. Start working early on and get as much experience as you can. If you can have work experience before graduation, you will be extremely well positioned to have a job waiting for you upon graduation.

The higher your GPA, the more options you will have in the future. Many top companies will filter applications by GPA, so don't get yourself eliminated for something that is in your control. You limit your future options by neglecting it. Make school the priority, study hard, work hard, build relationships with your professors and maintain a good GPA, you will not regret it.

If you have no idea what you think you'd like to do, take a class that interests you (especially if it has an excellent professor). You never know where it will lead, and at the very least it may simply be a class you enjoy. This is your time to explore new subjects, seize the opportunity.

It is so easy to get swept up in the social scene in college, and to subscribe too much value to running in certain crowds and being in certain clubs. It is also easy to rationalize spending time with people who don't treat you and others well because they're part of a certain social circle. If people are unkind to you, talk about you behind your back, etc. they are bad for you. Surround yourself with good people who want the best for you and make you feel good about yourself. Find friends who share your interests and ambitions, and who support you through the ups and downs and plateaus.

Get into a health and fitness regimen while you are at school. Physical education and sports are not built in to your life in college the way they are in high school, and it is easy to pack on unhealthy pounds while you're first adjusting to school. Get some workout buddies to make it a social activity, or join an intramural league. But make sure you're exercising regularly and eating mindfully, it will help sharpen your focus and build your self-confidence.

Though it feels like everything from job applications to dating is all done online, your social skills and ability to get along with people in many ways matters more than ever as more and more people are competing to distinguish themselves in their respective industries. Invest time in developing your social skills, and your ability to get along and work with people from all different backgrounds and areas of study. Don't get too caught up in curating your life online to be the life you really want to be living. Be present in your own life, do not simply record it.

I want to preface this by saying this is not a hard and fast rule; there are schools and particular programs at certain schools that have a broad reach and relationships with companies and employers all over the country and the world. But in general, schools have the strongest relationships in their home state cities. So go to a school where you think you want to live, ideally. If your school is not located in your ideal future home, it is that much more important to start networking there as soon as possible.