7 Things You Should NOT do in College • #CollegePrep
don't fall into the drug trap
Anything that boasts an experience that can take you ‘out of your reality’ is a trap, my friends. Although I’m not one to fight against a tall glass of Merlot every now and then, legal drugs can be extremely dangerous when abused.
(We won’t even talk about illegal drugs because come on… “Experimenting” so you can say you “did it” is the best excuse for people who are willing to “accidentally” get into deep trouble).
So, with that said, binge-drinking, smoking weed, consuming nicotine, and vaping (if that’s your thing) should be looked at with a wary eye. Is a temporary high worth the difficult journey of surviving without that high in the near or far future? Think about it.
don't fall for "free money"
Companies know that incoming students, or college students in general, haven’t been hit by the real-world fairy at the same rate as adults. So, they set up shop on campus selling cards with the magical gift of “free money.”
No, that money is NOT free and that card will NOT “come in handy.” Many of my peers graduated with thousands of dollars in debt (I’m not exempt) because they trusted the large print, without reading the fine print, and got that "magic" credit card.
Interest is real, and spending more on an item than you paid for originally is a legal nightmare. Don’t get caught with a credit score killer in your pocket and unpaid charges if you're not ready for the responsibility of all things "banking."
Related Post: The Ultimate College Guide to Finances and Budgeting
don't fall for the family "guilt"
Your girl is about to get really REAL in the hopes that it can help at least one person in need.
Your family knows a lot, but they don’t know it all. This, my friends, is YOUR education.
Although I can admittedly be a “people pleaser” when it comes to my family, I know what it feels like first-hand to be guilted into doing something because your family just wants you to “do what’s best for yourself.”
The moment I stopped shaking my head yes to everything I was told to do and started reading the fine print—I became ten times more aware of one simple truth...
If I crash and burn, I’ll teach MYSELF how to put out the flames.
You don’t always have to use the path that your family begs you to take for the sake of your "future." You know, or will figure out, what you need to do for YOURSELF.
Just fight for YOU, boo, and shake off the hundreds of future comments and “opinions” you’re about to receive. Trust me, they don’t stop when you graduate.
don't look too hard for love
I wish I wrote this post four years ago so I could read it 100 times over. My freshman year was an ENTIRE mess because I placed myself in a bachelorette situation for absolutely no reason.
Who was I to actually believe every guy that approached me could “be the one?” Why, at 18 years old, was I concerned with seeking the rest of my life when I had the REST of my life to find out?
I’ll keep this short and say that looking for love is a dead-end goal. It’s so much more fulfilling to sit back and enjoy the company of others without expectation. Just live, my friends, and stop questioning if Tyrone, Jack, or David is going to be your husband.
don't actively develop bad habits
I know, I know…This doesn’t make sense at first glance because WHO would actively try to form a bad habit?
When I say “actively,” I mean doing something on purpose. When you’re unaware of yourself, that has the potential to fall under an “accident.” When you ARE aware of yourself doing, or not doing, something—this is undoubtedly an action or act that has purpose and intent.
Although we would love to play the victim when we start getting ourselves in muddy water, try to understand what habits you actively created and what habits actually "slipped" into your daily routine. This way, in the future, you'll be able to stop yourself while you’re ahead before a bad habit is formed.
For example, this could be getting up late two days in a row and then decide that doing it again the next day wouldn’t hurt. Another common bad habit is waiting until 11 pm to turn in an online assignment (due at midnight), and then deciding that another zero wouldn’t be the WORST punishment.
Yeah, you don’t want to get caught in that black hole.
don't get used to staying in
With jobs, organizations, meetings, AND classes, it’s safe to say some students just want to stay in after a long day. The one thing you don't want to do, with or without a busy schedule, is lose your sense of spontaneity.
Losing my ability to enjoy life as it happened, hour by hour, is one of my biggest regrets for the last few semesters of my undergrad career. Being spontaneous is not for everybody, nor is it something you have to give into when begged by friends to “go out.”
Just try, even if just for a couple days out of the month, to trade your Couch and Netflix date for a movie, library study session, or coffee break.
don't stop trying
This ties into my last point, amongst others, and can apply to just about anything in college (or life, in general).
Don’t stop trying to turn your C+ into a B+.
Don’t stop trying to get into that internship program you dream about.
Don’t stop trying to apply for financial aid or scholarships.
Don’t stop trying to get out of your shell.
Don’t stop trying to meet new people.
Don’t stop.
If you know me, you know that I have to get real with you all by the end of each post to really help my general "theme" sink in.
College was one of the best and WORST four years of my life. I did everything and nothing that I wanted to do. I lived, and I let live. I did, and I didn’t do. I regret nothing and I regret EVERYTHING.
I wish that I could do it all over and remind myself that it’s never okay to stop trying. Even if I saw my grades drop, it was never a reason for me to give up on that class. Even if I felt alone one night, staying inside for a big event wasn’t any help. Even when I was happily in a relationship, letting myself go isn’t something I should’ve settled for.
Be mindful of how you use and respect your time in school. These years don’t last forever.
That’s all for this post, my friends. If you’re enjoying this series, make sure to subscribe to the #CollegePrep Community for updates and helpful tips sent straight to your inbox throughout this upcoming fall semester.
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Live Intentionally,
