5 Things I Wish I Knew in College

It’s the first day of college and all is great. You think to yourself, “How hard could this be? After all, I did well in high school so this should be a breeze.” Jump forward to a few years after college and you think, “ Gosh, I was so green. I wish I knew this… and that…and I should have done x”

We’ve all had this moment, so I’ve compiled 5 things I learned after college that I hope will help students’ better position themselves while in college for the best possible chance of success.

1. Don’t be so focused on grades

I would never tell anyone not to try to get the best grades they feel they can achieve. I also would never tell anyone that grades will matter that much to employers. In the real world, employers want experience. If you spend all of your time studying and no time gaining experience, you will be very upset when finding out that the employer wants people with X amount of years of experience and your degree.

I always tell mentees to apply the 80/20 rule. Those that spend 80% of time studying and 20% of their time gaining experience in college will typically have an 80% better chance of getting a job after college that someone that spent 100% of their time studying.

Remember: Employer have problems, and employees solve problems. Today, the only way to show an employer that you can solve their problem is through real-world experience.

2.    Network like crazy

Network…Network…and Network some more. This is the only way you will really reach your goals. One of my mentors once told me “ Never apply for a job from a job board because those are the jobs that no one truly wanted”.  

In corporate America, great jobs are given to people we know and trust. The only way to get to know someone and build that trust is to network.

"I hear what you are saying, but everyone says I should network. What does that actually mean? "

To network means to connect and build relationships with people that can help you reach your goal. This may be reaching out directly to a hiring manager for coffee on LinkedIn. It may be connecting with members of your school's Alumni Association. It may even mean sending dozens of emails to a senior executive directly asking for a mentorship (I did this in law school and it actually worked…ha ha).

Remember: Networking opportunities are endless. Just get out there and start talking to people. You may be surprised how willing people are to help students.

3.    Work for free if you have to

As a college student, you should spend your evenings, breaks, and/or summers working part-time jobs or internships gaining experience in the field that you want to go into.

"Ok, get a job…that’s easy enough. I could use a few more dollars. Wait…. Are you not paying? You want me to do this for free?

Yes, you may have to work for free to get experience. Many students feel as though they shouldn’t have to work for free to gain experience, but from the employer’s point of view, you offer very little value in solving their pressing problems and they’re doing you a favor.

Remember: The reason employers want experience is because a degree shows you know about a subject and experience shows you can apply things learn about the subject to solve a problem today.

4.    Chose your friends wisely

You may have heard the phrase “ You are the sum of the five people that are the closest to you” or “To be rich, just hang around rich people”. Out of all points made in this article, this point is perhaps the most important.

Your friends will influence your decisions more than any external force you will ever encounter. This is mainly because your conversations, things you do together, and support you receive will all work to shape your actions. Only allow people into your life that you feel will have a positive effect on who you will be five years from now. Everyone else should be outside of your top five.

Remember: Just because your friends are cool, doesn’t mean they will help you be successful. Think of your life beyond just the moment.

5.    Not all advice applies to your goals

Advice is everywhere when you’re in college. Everyone has an opinion on how and what you should be doing to be successful. The only thing is that much of this advice is very general and does not apply in every case.

Everyone’s journey will be different after college… this is mainly true because we all have different goals. When consuming advice, make sure you have a firm understanding of what your goals are and apply the advice given to your specific journey.

Remember, just because someone tells you something that sounds goods, does not mean it’s good for you. 

Hopefully, these tips help you as a student (or a student you know) to spend your time in college doing things that will help you reach your goals.

All comments and additional tips are welcomed!