Between pulling all-nighters for that final exam at Washington State University and the drunken tailgates before football games (it’s okay, we’ve all been there), a lot happens in your college days. Be sure to make the most of your four (or six) years by doing these six things before graduation:
FIND YOUR PEOPLE
Not everyone wants to go Greek, and not everyone is cutout for the engineer’s club. That’s okay, because every college has a huge list of options for meeting like-minded people. Ask yourself what you are most interested in. Meditating in the campus quad? Running marathons? Getting a 4.0? Chances are there’s an on-campus organization for any interest you have. Ditch the dorm room and find your people!
GET IN OVER YOUR HEAD
Relax. I’m not implying you should get in a situation with dire consequences should you mess up. The beautiful thing about college is that it’s a big “Life Laboratory” and you get to choose your experiments. Run for student government office or lead an organization, regardless of if you know what you’re doing. Taking risks is a lot scarier in the real world; why not try a few things out while you can?
TAKE A ROADTRIP
Consider spending next-to-nothing on a vacation with three or four of your best friends for a lifetime of memories. Sounds pretty great, doesn’t it? Roadtrips give you just that. Take a journey with a close-knit group of friends, split costs with each other and create some killer inside jokes. With a nine-to-five corporate job, dropping everything to coordinate a roadtrip with your friends is nearly impossible. Be spontaneous while you can!
MEET AN ALUMNI MILLIONAIRE
Never in your life will it be easier to meet millionaires than when you are in college. The reason is because these people know you’re not meeting with them to “get a job,” you’re meeting with them to learn about their story. You’re a student, and your job is to learn. You’re non-threatening, you’re a fellow [Insert Mascot] and the most successful people will jump at the opportunity to talk about themselves with a young and eager college kid.
FORGET VACATION AND INTERN
The summer months are a perfect time for testing out careers by interning in different fields of interest. You’ll start to get an idea of what you like (fingers-crossed!) and a clear understanding of what you don’t like. Once you start the job search, you’ll save time by passing on the boring jobs and hunting down the ones you’ll enjoy. Plus, having an internship (the more, the better) will make it that much easier to actually get the job because you have real world experience.
PUSH YOUR HOUSING LIMITS
Think about this for a second: when in your life will you have the ability to live with upwards to 8 or 10 people in a single home? Now, imagine those people being your same age, your close friends and on the same mission as you (i.e. graduate with a degree). Do you think your future spouse will be cool with this type of living situation? Unlikely. Gather your closest friends, sign a yearlong lease and create unbreakable bonds.
Whether you’re a freshman or a fifth-year senior, it’s never too late to take full advantage of your college career.
