Letter to My Sister

Hey there kid,

So I heard you’re starting college this year. Just a couple of tips you might want to keep in mind as you start school:

Don’t let anyone push you around. That includes advisors, professors and students. When you start school, you’ll probably have a five minute talk with some sort of advisor who’ll try and tell you what you should be doing. Five minutes isn’t enough to decide your life. Don’t pick your major until you’ve done everything you can do to educate yourself about your choices. And no, don’t listen to your parents. College was different when they went to school. The world was different when they went to school. If you can, go through two years of college getting your required courses out of the way and then decide. Give yourself the opportunity to explore courses of study you’ve always been curious about. You won’t get the chance again (until you’re retired, probably).

And like I said, don’t let anyone push you around. Nagging works wonders on people. There’s always an exception to the rule. When I was in school, the advisor accidentally told me my math placement test was two points away from a higher-level course. “Why can’t I take that course, then?” I asked. I persisted until he let me. That’s money saved right there. When I wanted to take honors English courses, another advisor told me my SAT score in math wasn’t high enough. “But I can do English,” I told her. She let me. And I ended up staying in the program. But only after I kept nagging her. Repeat after me, nagging is good.

Your best friends for the next four years will be the cafeteria lady, the secretary, the security guard and the librarian. Sure you’ll make other friends, but life will be a lot easier if you’re familiar with the folks that can make your transition to college a little easier. And these folks know a lot more about college than you. Learn from them. Respect them. 

If you can’t find your niche, you’re not looking hard enough. But don’t be afraid to transfer until you find it. Sometimes you don’t make your best friends during orientation. Even at big colleges, it can be hard to find a set of people to hang out with. But don’t stop looking. You don’t have to join a sorority to make friends. Start your own club.And if you’ve spent the first year looking and you’re still not happy, maybe you’re at the wrong college. 

Tuition matters. A lot. This isn’t high school. Your parents are paying for this party. And if you any sort of loans, you’ll probably pay for it too. So if you didn’t take high school seriously, now’s the chance for a fresh start. In other words, study hard or I will personally school you. Not tutor you. Kick your butt school you.

Oh yeah, so it turns out you can balance work and school. And you probably should. There are good work-study jobs on campus. And you can find them. One of the best memories I have is of spending summers working on campus. It automatically finds you friends. And it teaches you about the real world. (A hard working kid from a state college is worth their weight in cold compared to the Ivy Leaguer with straight A’s who has never had work experience. And employers know that.) 

Speaking of which, this is probably the only time when you get the chance to be almost 100% free. Enjoy it. Travel abroad. Sleep late.  Oh yeah, and do something I never did. Party hard. Well, not too hard. But have some fun. Or you’ll try and make up for it later, which can be disastrous. So have a good time, but keep an eye on that GPA. There’s no better time to get a little tipsy or get your heart broken. People are a little more understanding of these things now. They won’t be later.

Also, don’t forget to carry a) chapstick for them cold winters, b) extra tokens, c) hand sanitizer, d) Kleenex, e) and a planner. Oh yeah, and go to each and every one of your professors’ office hours. 

Love,

PG