What’s the Best Single Piece of Advice You Would Give a High School Grad?
For this week’s blog post, I reached out to the wisdom of the ages... all ages. I asked the question to a ton of different people—if you could give advice to a recent high school grad, what would you say? Why? What do you wish you knew when you were their age? Below you will find a plethora of advice related to classes, life skills and... oh yeah... even a reminder to wear sunscreen.
Here’s what they said:
< 5 Years Out of College
“Take classes outside of your major. Join clubs that have a diverse group of people in it!”
“Take a fun class like Ceramics or something... or a coding bootcamp.”
“Get a job that will allow you to homework while at work! The Library Reserves Book Room, Language Labs, Computer Lab Monitor, etc.”
5–10 Years Out of College
“Be proactive about everything, do not wait for someone to tell you or misinform you, or going you on an adventure you would like to have. I.e. if you have your heart set on a particular degree and profession, research pros and cons, look at the current and projected job market, join clubs related to your academic interest, find every available scholarship and resource to help you financially—and DO THE SCHOOL SPONSORED TRIPS!”
“Do something besides schoolwork to meet new people and keep you grounded. Whether that be sports, some sort of club, adventure groups, etc.”
“Wash your sheets, towels, blankets, etc. before moving into the dorms.”
10+ Years Out of College
“Build up your alcohol tolerance now!” [This was a joke.]
“Work at the college radio station!”
“Go to the library to make friends. (Or that's what my mom told me to do.” [This was also a joke, but is actually pretty solid advice. Or at least make friends with people who don't mind going to the library.]
“Think positive! There is always light at the end of the tunnel.”
“Don’t be intimidated by other students—your [stuff] is on fire! Don't second guess yourself when it comes to what you want to do with your time at school. Everyone is different. You've basically got a blank slate, so go for the gold.”
“Take a general business class at a JC (junior college) and learn how to manage debt and stay focused on the objective which is graduating. Have fun, but don't ever make that your focal point. Until later.”
“Spend some time doing and trying things that relax and de-stress you, and develop a self care toolset for when school starts.”
“Budgeting and laundry.”
“Study abroad!”
“Find out who the best teachers are and take those classes, not just classes based on subjects you're interested in.”
“Your area of study may not be where you end up in life. Use electives wisely to get a broad range of knowledge or to set up for a masters program. Oh, and wear sunscreen.”