Surviving College: #FirstSemesterDown...

Well the first semester is kind of sorta down only because I haven't done my finals and handed in a particular paper yet, but other than that it's done. Only down side to this, instead of festivities guess whose got two thumbs and will be studying while you will be screaming your head off counting down the new year? Go on, guess, heck I'll save you the trouble it's me. Sad I know.

But I figured I might as well give you some advice on things you ought to do before college and  while you are in college.

So, up,up and away!

Do your research. I cannot stress this enough. This should probably be done during your high school life and that "empty" period between finishing high school and joining college. By research I mean, job shadow during your holiday even if it's just for a day, intern you will be able to see what REALLY goes into your otherwise pompous and glamorous prospective career choice. Be warned, this may sway your career choice but at least it will do so early enough as opposed to having an academic epiphany while in one of your last semesters of college.

Ask questions. Questions concerning everything and anything your career. This applies to everyone and I mean everyone in the field of your choice. Start with the students. Not only students who are in your dream university but also every other student in other universities which have never even crossed your mind or are your "safety-net". Why students? Well these guys are perhaps the most brutally honest  after kids. They'll tell you everything, from the course units, faculty, facilities you name it; basically campus life which tends to be overhyped in some instances. This way you will be able to compare and contrast universities based on first hand experience other than the contents of a brochure.  Afterwards you can now graduate to asking the big wigs in the field i.e the CEOs, airline pilots, world renowned writers, award wining journalists etc.

Sit in in a class. You know, like how in Gilmore Girls Rory sat at the very back of a lecture hall at Yale yet all the while Harvard was the dream, then that just changed the game. Okay, so maybe this example was not the best given that Rory did drop out of Yale for a period of time, actually my memory fails me, how did Gilmore Girls end again?  But I hope you see where I am going with this. Side note, if you don't know Gilmore Girls...I can't...I can't even. For real though, sit in in as many classes and at as many universities as possible. This will definetly influence you into making a well informed decision and definitely look up Gilmore Girls.

Accept change. Once you've carried out your research don't be afraid of listening to that little voice that's telling you "maybe University X isn't that bad" or "maybe career Y just isn't it". Don't be afraid of altering your dream just a tweak say changing your university choice or changing up the whole shebang like your career...of course only after careful deliberation. The whole point is to have you making this decisions early enough and evade all possibilities of a quarter-life crisis.

Work hard. Once you get in uni' and before you get in a.k.a high school this golden rule does not change. Especially in high school whatever it is Matric, K.C.S.E, I.G.C.S.E, G.C.E,S.A.T's and any other initialed major exam that supposedly determines your life, I can tell you for free good grades means you have an unlimited selection of college choices. So, go get it! 

Happy Holidays Y'all!!