Five Experiences Every College Student Should Have

"Make the most of these four years."

"This will be the best four years of your life."

If you're preparing to start college, you've probably heard these sayings and the numerous variations of it. I am going into my senior year and don't doubt the truth of these statements. After all, time flies when you're having fun. In order to make the most of those years I believe there are certain experiences you should have during college.

Live in the dorms for more than one year.

I know dorms aren't exactly the most pleasant place in the world. The walls are usually a sterile white, the furniture is uncomfortable, and there's only so much you can fit into a small room meant for two. However, if you dorm for two years, you can try life in a different residence hall if your freshman hall didn't totally suit your interests and needs. All dorms are different in terms of size and the kind of people living in them. Why not try a different one out?

Another reason to dorm is to save more money to get an off campus apartment or otherwise nicer on campus housing. Better yet, you could even dorm for four years and put this off altogether. You may want to move off campus in sophomore year, but are you ready for paying bills and sharing a space with more than one person? Think of it this way: when you move off campus, you can say you were really ready to.

Live with strangers, not your best friends.

While it is nice to know your roommate and meet him or her before next school year, think twice before choosing a close friend, either from home or at school, as a roommate. When you live with someone that you are close to, you see all their habits and some of them will drive you crazy. This could lead to arguments, and when that starts, you will probably begin to want that person out of your sight. This year, I lived with five other girls. One of them was a friend I met freshman year and once I got annoyed with her and didn't hold back on saying so, that was the end of our friendship.

Moral of the story: Pick people that you know on a casual yet friendly basis, or better yet, just stick to the random roommate arrangement.

Join an extracurricular that you haven't tried before.

When I was a freshman, I started participating in college choirs. It was something I enjoyed because I sang in chorus throughout high school. While it is fine to stick with what you know and enjoy, try out something else. I participated in sorority rush my sophomore year, even though I said I never would. I also auditioned for the dance ensemble, even though I didn't make it, but I plan on trying again this upcoming year.

When you step out of your box, you will meet new people, learn different ways of doing things and thinking, and you might even find a new passion. Even if you end up not sticking with an extracurricular, you can still say you gave it a try.

Take a class in something outside your major.

I took one of the best classes ever this past semester: Business Communications and Report Writing. It was a useful class because it taught so many skills you need in the business world like writing business reports, job interviewing, and interacting with professionals from different countries. It was a small class size, 300 level course and the professor was a nice lady who was an innkeeper at a nearby bed and breakfast. When you take classes like this, you are preparing yourself for the real world and exploring options outside of your career plans. Even if your advisor discourages you from taking a class, try it out anyway. If nothing else, you've earned elective or general education credits. Still, it is possible to consider different careers based on class material.

Stay away from the party scene.

While there's no one telling you to not enjoy yourself, there are better ways of doing it than getting so drunk you can't remember what you did last night. Make an effort to not party every weekend. Try some new non-alcoholic drinking activities like going to an on campus movie (usually free!), heading to a coffee shop, going to the mall, or just hanging in with your friends. Wouldn't you want to remember all the fun you had in college?

College may not be the real world, but it is still a big world with lots of opportunity. The four years will go by fast and you may as well try to experience as many things as possible. So head off to college, meet some people, try new things, and you will make many memories in the process.