I went on to get my Masters Degree at the suggestion of my career counselor at the University of Pgh. Accumulating more debt, I graduated and the job market opened up. . . but now the criteria was that Masters degrees weren’t in demand, only Bachelors and someone with a Masters, by law, at the time, was not allowed to work for a Bachelors salary - or so I was told.

I started in the business world shortly after that and although I regretted not being able to do what my heart’s desire was, my education did not go to waste. The simple fact that I received a college degree and then a Masters degree opened doors of respect in my newly chosen profession. Without it, I most likely would not have succeeded.

I’ve been down many paths since then. I’ve been President of my own executive recruiting firm since 1986 and have branched out to writing and building websites as well as an online business.

When I was in high school, I had a terrible time taking the long tests (SAT, etc). I was definitely an under achiever in that area. My IQ, I was told, at the time, was not sufficient to propel my way through college. Health & PE requires all of the same courses that pre-med students take. I graduated with honors in both my undergraduate degree and Masters.

What that says to me is that a general college education will make you a better, well rounded person. It opens your eyes to numerous possibilities. Regardless of the type of education you choose (I’ve educated myself for the last four years to learn how to build websites and SEO through self study and materials I’ve purchased from other experts), the point is to choose some type of education. Life is boring otherwise. Always challenge yourself. If you don’t know what you want to do, just start taking courses. Look at the current marketplace and see what the world is demanding, or better yet, lacking and try to fill that void. Make yourself marketable. Be smart. Choose not only with your heart but with your economic eyes. You have to survive in this world. Surely with all of the things to do, you can have it both ways.

However, the most important thing I’ve learned about college: get in, get out in four years is not for everyone. If you find that your college isn’t a good fit, it’s okay to change schools. If you don’t think you can finish in four years, it’s okay to take an extra semester or two. If you no longer feel energized by your major or minor, it’s okay to find something else. And if you find that college just isn’t for you at all, that’s okay too. You might find each other somewhere down the road, and there are plenty of ways to live happily without a BA.

2) Take part in extracurricular activities. Join the newspaper staff if you like to write or get on an intramural sports team if you like to keep active. Joining professional organizations at the college level is also a great idea because, in some cases, that means you get the discounted membership rate for life.

3) Don’t be afraid to ditch things if they’re not working out. I joined a sorority for a semester and I hated it, so I quit. I started taking a design class and became quickly aware that it wouldn’t be worth my time, so I withdrew from the course. I’m not saying you shouldn’t apply yourself; I am saying that some things just aren’t worth the aggravation. You’ll know what those things are pretty quickly after you encounter them.

4) Get yourself on a schedule. Figure out when you’re in class, when you’re working and when you’re studying. Don’t forget to pencil in time for fun. I always knew that I would be working on the school newspaper every Wednesday night, but I also knew I would be at my favorite bar with my friends every Monday night. Having at least a loose idea of what you’re doing when means that you’ll rarely have to skip the fun stuff.

5) Take advantage of internships and other career-training programs whenever you can, and start as soon as you can. Though internships look good on your resume, they also serve a higher purpose in that they give you a taste of what you’ll be doing for a living if you remain on your current path. You want to start early because it’s way better to figure out that your chosen major isn’t for you during the first two years of college then, say, the summer before (or after) your senior year. It’s still possible to fine-tune your plans at that time, but it’s way easier to do an overall switch early on.

6) College is an amazing experience. Because I went to school about 800 miles away from my home, my friends became my family there. I know these people will be there for me for the rest of my life. Cherish the experience and create memories. Sometimes grabbing a burger at 2 a.m. IS more important than last-minute cramming or getting eight hours of sleep. I don’t remember all the papers I got As on or all the tests I aced. I do remember the sometimes life-changing adventures that I had with the people I met along the way.

I was amazed towards the end of college at how much my worldview had changed–so much so that it’d be difficult to describe myself as the same person who graduated that I was when I entered.

(I’ve tried telling this to my student loan lenders in an effort to show that the person who borrowed the money has changed so much that it wouldn’t be fair to expect me as an enlightened graduate to be responsible for my freshman self’s debt…no dice.)

Here’s a copy & paste of the advice I’d sent:
1.
The biggest adjustment I had to make in college was how to deal with all of the free time. It’s the first time no one’s standing over you telling you what to do or where to be for large chunks of your day.

It doesn’t mean you have to study for eight hours a day, but it does mean that you should set up a basic schedule for yourself. If you have an hour in between classes, why not get your reading out of the way instead of playing video games or playing on Facebook? Lots of people would stay awake until late hours and then sleep until 1 p.m. This is probably not a good schedule to keep.

The main thing is to be conscious of how you’re spending all that free time, so that you can wrestle control of it from the forces of procrastination.

2.
Good things about dorm life:
There’s always people around.
It’s the last time you’ll not have to pay for utilities. Enjoy the ‘free’ internet, electricity and cable while it lasts!

Bad things about dorm life:
There’s always people around.
You’ll share a bathroom in some fashion. Definitely get a shower caddy to haul all your stuff. And however many towels you think is enough, get a couple extra, because you’ll probably go longer than you should between laundry trips.

3.
College is the first time you get to take the classes you want. Go ahead and take a couple fun things mixed in with your major classes.

4.
See your advisor or department office to get the checklist for your major. Right away as a freshman, you can start mapping out the next four years to make sure you’re on track and figure out where you can fit in your fun electives.