What is one thing you people told you before coming to college?

Question

How to be an adult. Adulting is quite hard and not meant for the weak. But, we all have to be one someday, and that day comes quicker than we all wish it to, even though as children we can't wait for it to come sooner. I wish that people shared their experience on their first time in new offices, finding certain documents and submitting them, and the new interactions they had with professionals.

I also wish that everyone did not come in expecting to know everything, to have years of experience in a field, filling out paperwork, and answering certain questions. There's also this expectation that good parents teach their children these things, and children would learn from them. I couldn't find that to be farther from the truth. Good parents teach their children the essentials for survival and navigation in this uphill battle we call a world. The world teaches children how to realize they're in an uphill battle.

Answer 1

I work with college students and, more often than not, the things they struggle with have nothing to do with their intelligence or academic requirements! They struggle more with the best ways to manage their time and expectations. And, they are reluctant to ask for help until they have already started drowning.

Becoming a college student and starting a career does NOT mean that you have everything figured out! It means that you are choosing new experiences and environments to help you become more independent. The best thing you can do is find out what help is available BEFORE you need it. Then, build a support system (parents, teachers, academic resources, mentors, friends, etc.) that you can rely on when the time comes for you to get extra help.

Don't be afraid to try new things and understand that failure isn't fatal.

Answer 2

For both college as well as your first job, the one thing that I wish more people knew was that you have to be responsible for yourself and your own time. Learning how to manage your calendar, look ahead, and plan for how you're going to meet a deadline is a crucial skill that many people entering university or the workforce for the first time have never been forced to learn. Your boss/professor isn't responsible for you remembering an upcoming deadline. It takes time management and project management skills to plan ahead and figure out what you need to do along the way to meet deadlines. In high school (at least in the United States), students are often reminded when things are due, and they are allowed to turn in things late and make up late work. Since parents and teachers often don't force students to be accountable for keeping track of their own things and their own time, it teaches them that it's okay not to pay attention to deadlines. In university or at a job, you aren't allowed to miss deadlines, so most people have never been taught to do it. It's not their fault, but it's something that is often hard-learned!