Don’t be scared.
When I graduated from high school, I walked across the stage with 585 suburban teenagers and onto the campus of one of the biggest Universities in the country — The University of Texas at Austin. That part was exciting. The fears started happening after I arrived.
5 pieces of advice for college based on fears I had to overcome:
Be a student of everything. I never wanted to sign up for certain elective classes for fear of bringing down my GPA. Inevitably, the extra classes that made me feel the most uncomfortable were the ones where I learned the stuff I would have never learned on my own. Even if you think you’ll read that book later or take a course on that when you’re out of school, most likely, you won’t. So sign up now and take a few classes that have nothing to do with your degree. Also, if you are lucky enough to be able to study abroad: GO. Getting on a plane and saying goodbye was hard, but getting on the plane to come home was much, much harder.
Go on dates. Lots of them. I was always too shy to ask boys to date parties and events, so I ended up going solo with the one or two others who were also dateless. This was a mistake. I knew it then, it was clear as an adult, and it’s crystal clear after you’re married. Accept dates and ask people on dates now even if it scares you. (Just not if he or she scares you.)
Don’t be afraid to eat, be afraid of eating the whole pizza. My roommates and I were always worried about the dreaded “Freshman 15.” So we developed a habit of treating ourselves to giant pizzas and junk food when it was time to study for a test. (Which, in college, is often.) Inevitably, the gorging would make us sick and we’d feel awful for the day of the exam. So if you’re going to study with comfort food, just don’t go overboard. Better yet — celebrate after the test is over.
Go to that event. In college, there’s always some kind of event. Always. Whether it be sports related, a festival, a party in the greek community or a ridiculous shindig where you have to go to Goodwill to find an outfit first—you should go see/do/experience it ALL. Often, I would feel intimidated by being in a large crowd or part of a large group of people I didn’t know, and just stay home. Unfortunately, once you graduate, there are fewer free beer troughs and with every year, less spirited partygoers. Some of my favorite memories are sliding across the frat-house floor covered in bubbles, and cheering my college football team on to victory. Skip the nap on the couch and spending endless time online, you can do that anytime.
Get involved and intern. When you get out of college, the first thing you’ll do is create your resumé. If you aren’t involved in any organizations or haven’t worked around mentors of any sort, your resumé will definitely be short and most likely go to the bottom of the pile. It’s hard to put yourself out there and find these opportunities, but don’t let the fear of the unknown scare you: put yourself out there. College courses teach you a lot, but nothing gives you more knowledge for real life than being a part of organizations that allow you to work with others to achieve a goal and taking on internships where someone asks you to do shit you’ll want to make sure you never have to do again.
The most rewarding accomplishments I’ve ever had in my life, whether they be personal or professional, have always scared the crap out of me first. Even today, I have to remind myself of this. In fact, every morning I am greeted by a tiny framed quote in my bathroom that says Why worry? Nothing you’ve ever worried about has ever happened. It’s true. Yet, I must be reminded of it every single time I brush my teeth.
Oh, one last thing: brush your teeth. (It helps with the dating part.)
