Five things every college student should do while in school

I wrote this for a web site called College News, but I did not like the edits, so I am just going to post it here with all of its integrity intact.

1)Major with your heart, but minor with your head

Major in something you love, say 18th Century English Literature, but minor in something practical like Web Design or International Business. If you decide after you graduate that you don’t want to be a teacher or poet, you can always fall back on your Accounting major to pay your bills. Employers will appreciate your grammar skills but will appreciate them even more when combined with you’re A/P and A/R skills.

2)Learn how to manage your money

Learn how to manage your money. You do not want to graduate from school with $10,000 in credit card debt and $20,000 in student loans. You can always get the loans deferred until you get a job, but the credit card debt will be a burden. Credit cards should only be used if absolutely necessary. You do not need 1,000 songs from iTunes or to buy two rounds of drinks for the entire bar every time you go out. Haven’t you learned by now that people should like you for who you are not what you have?

3)Study abroad

You must study abroad. It is the perfect time of life for seeing the world. You are young and free and curious. It is a time to take Art History in Rome, to take Literature in London, to be able to experience your classes. It is also a great time to learn about you. You may find out that you love photography or cooking or have a knack for languages. And you will make wonderful memories that will last a lifetime.

4)Get an internship/job/volunteer or any combination of the three

Get an internship/job/volunteer or any combination of the three. It is not enough to do well in classes. Sure, grades are important when you first graduate. However, think how much more impressive your resume will be if you are a Journalism major with good grades, you wrote for the school newspaper and you had an internship with a Advertising Agency, writing press releases and copy. Or you volunteered at the local animal shelter, and you helped them put out their monthly newsletter. It shows you have time management skills, motivation, initiative and a desire to apply the skills you are learning in school.

5)Eat better and exercise more

Put that pizza down and go get a salad. It is not okay to abuse your body just because you are young. You need to be able to get the most out of your very expensive education, and the only way to do that is to be healthy. Your brain needs nutrition and sleep because it cannot function properly on beer and caffeine pills. Also, at what other time in your life are you going to have free access to exercise rooms, basketball courts and indoor swimming pools? There is never more time and opportunity to exercise than when you have hours of free time between classes. You will run circles around your peers, and as an added bonus, you will not have to buy new clothes with your credit card after you gain 20 pounds.