10.) Used the rec center
I went to the University of Michigan where there were rec centers on the campuses that are free for students. I love to exercise, and the rec centers had lots of equipment, and at least two of them had pools.
It’s really important to exercise while in school. All of that studying, partying, and sleeping can start showing up on the waistline. Beyond weight issues, exercise is a great way of balancing out the pressures of school, and believe it or not, you’ll have more energy.
Check out your college to see if they have a place for students to work out. They may offer fun fitness classes (such as dance). They may also have fun trips such as rock climbing that are much cheaper than those offered elsewhere.
9.) Spoke up in class
I remember one particularly tortured class discussion where the professor kept trying to draw a certain answer out of us. I knew what she was going for, but so many people were raising their hands, I figured one of them would get it.
Well, they didn’t. Eventually, everyone stopped trying and the professor still kept trying. I finally decided raise my hand. The professor was SO happy and relieved that I gave the answer she was looking for, and I felt awesome for doing it. Plus, I stood out in class that day. Always a good thing (unless you did something embarrassing).
8.) Tried a class that was over my head
You may recall from my last entry my issues with Chinese classes. I admitted that I should have thrown in the towel. However, I also took classes that turned out to be over my head, but I got a lot out of them.
While your GPA is very important, don’t take easy classes just to maintain a 4.0. If you decide to go to graduate school, your whole transcript will be looked at, not just your GPA. And guess what? You don’t have to put your GPA on your resume! But you can talk in a job interview about all the challenging, interesting, useful classes you took.
7.) Got to know the town
College towns are fun, interesting places. There are really cool people to meet outside of class. I enjoyed my time in Ann Arbor immensely. I learned almost as much from the city as I did in class. I discovered new foods, new fashions, new types of art, and that libraries need not be stuffy and musty.
6.) Made friends in my classes
There is nothing better than seeing a familiar face in your “Bible as Literature” class. Now that I’m in grad school, I even make plans with friends to take the same classes. It makes class more fun; and if you’re in over your head, they may be able to help you.
5.) Took classes taught by awesome professors
For real, there are certain professors that can change your life—or at least your outlook on it. A few weeks ago, I saw in the newspaper that one of my favorite professors was retiring. It bummed me out to think that there would be generations of students who would not get to take any of his classes.
You can go to Rate My Professors, but usually word of mouth works just as well.
4.) Got to know at least a couple of my instructors
This is really important. Professors and instructors give great references, but it helps if they know you. Also, most of them are very smart people who carry interesting conversations.
3.) Lived close to campus
There will come a time when you’re ready to get out of the dorms, and when you do, you need to keep a lot of factors in mind. But a key one is location. I’ve had various living situations: close to campus, somewhat far from campus, and now I commute an hour to campus. Let me tell, the last two are difficult.
There are several advantages to living near campus. For one, you can walk or ride your bike. No need to find or pay for parking. Also, it’s not such a big deal to go back to campus later the same day. So, if you have campuses that are scheduled far apart or you have an activity in the evening, you won’t have to kill time on campus or do any needless driving.
2.) Took up an extracurricular activity
If you read my last entry, I wrote that I wished I had done more extracurricular activities. Well, I did do a couple, and one of those changed my life.
I had wanted to take guitar lessons for a while, so I finally walked myself to a music store that offered lessons and got their list of instructors. I randomly picked one out and hoped for the best. I got really lucky. My teacher was a cool, long-haired hippie type who was in a band. After seeing a couple of his band’s shows, his girlfriend started inviting me to parties at their house.
It was at one of those parties that a tall guy with dark hair approached me. Three years later, we were married!
Now, I’m not suggesting that you only do these activities to find a date. It’s just that you never know what will happen. Maybe you’ll just meet some great new friends. But maybe you’ll have that epiphany that takes you down a road that you’d never thought you go down—or even knew existed!
1.) Graduated
Do I even need to explain this one? It’s not easy, but you can do it.