Top Ten Countdown on How to Thrive in College

As a junior in college this year, I feel like an old grandfather telling his starry-eyed grandkids about the world. Granted, I'm still only 20, but the intent is the same. I want you to learn from other people's mistakes (not that they're my mistakes). Here are tips on how to make the most out of your college years:

10. Have fun

Some people claim college is the best four years of your life. It's up to you to make it that way. Go to parties, join things, meet people, and make it fun. You have the rest of your life to worry about things that adults worry about. Sure, you might be headed for adulthood, but really, you don't have the same responsibilities that adults do, and you should celebrate that every day you can.

9. Do the work

As much fun as everything else is in college, the homework and the classes could be considered boring, or a waste of time. If you feel this way, look up the definition of "college." It's about the education you get just as much as it is about personal growth and fun. Plus, what you do in your classes will have a profound effect on your post-undergraduate options. And, believe it or not, if you picked the right major, it can sometimes be satisfying to go to class. Regardless, that's what you came to school for, and you need not forget that. Work hard.

8. Don't always give into peer pressure

You'll find yourself in college--that is, if you're looking. Your values may not align completely with those of your peers, and that's okay. What's important is sticking to your guns on certain things. If you don't want to smoke, don't. If you don't want to drink, don't. If you don't want to do drugs, don't. If you don't want to have sex, don't. I know it's easier said than done in such an environment, but a strong person learns to find the resolve from within to do what he or she believes. You sow the seeds in college for what you will reap later, so develop good habits now.

7. Save like crazy

The same idea as why to have fun applies here: You don't yet have the responsibilities of an adult. You should treat this timeframe as an opportunity to get ahead whenever you can. No one's judging you for your particular financial situation, and the details about everyone else's personal finances are largely hidden, because a lot of people are either there on their parents' money or the federal government's. Just because some people spend a lot, doesn't mean you should. If you get a head start now when you don't have as many expenses (such as a house, a car, a lawn, or most costly of all, babies), you'll be glad you did.

6. Have protection handy

It's a fact that you don't always know when things are going to happen. You might think you do, but you don't. Have protection. It doesn't mean you need it in your pocket at all times, just where you can get to it if you need it. You don't want to have to choose between having protection and having an STD in the heat of the moment, and it's not something to fool around with.

5. Don't drink and drive

Here's a fun story: After a Halloween party, a guy I knew woke up in jail wearing ladies' clothing and sporting a very prominent black eye. How did he get there? Well, his car hit a telephone pole and he was lucky enough to be found. Who knows what happened before that? The important thing is, if you aren't going to have a DD (designated driver), and you know you're going to have to drive to get home, don't drink. It's just stupid to throw your life away because you had a little too much vodka in your screwdriver.

4. Stay involved

Don't ever forget that you usually get out of something what you put in (that annoying "you reap what you sow" adage that your grandfather might have told you, while he was sitting with straw in his teeth and a spittoon next to the rocking chair). If you go to events on campus, keep meeting new people, attend lectures that aren't even required (gasp!), and maybe even do some community service, you'll find the whole experience much more rewarding. You'll feel like a part of the community, instead of just a student.

3. Make connections

As you near the end of college, you'll start to realize you're not going to be there forever. If you are smart, you'll already have started deciding what you want to do next, such as attending graduate school, getting a professional job, or starting a business. There's no way of knowing where you'll end up for sure, but it will help a lot if you start making contacts both within the college and in the fields you want to pursue. Ask your professors, your career center counselors, alumni, whoever you can. You are so much more likely to get where you need to go if you know the right people.

2. Plan for the future

Don't just think about what you need to do right after college. That's important, but short-sighted. Set your sights on 10, 20, 30 years from now! If you want to own a flower shop in New York City, now's the time to plan for how you can get there. It applies whether you need graduate school for a career or whether you just want a certain job. My best advice is not to settle. I've been talking to all sorts of people at college, and they keep reminding me that I'm in my youth and it's too early to think I can't do what I dream about doing (except for something like growing up in the 60's). If you already don't believe you're able to reach your dream goal, when are you ever going to?

1. Graduate!

It's tragic, but true. I have peers that dropped out of college who would have graduated this year. While I'm still headed towards graduation, one friend is working at restaurants, and another had aspirations of getting into a better school without a realistic way to do it. I cannot stress this enough. Even if you think college is not for you, or that you can find a better way, the overwhelming majority of people don't. Maybe there's an occasional success story where someone drops out of college to work on an operating system that will turn his company into a multi-billion dollar tech giant, but you know if you're cut out for that sort of thing. If you're lucky enough to get into college, do your very best to get out with a degree. This is a country where that piece of paper means everything, so use it to your advantage and get a leg up. I'll see you on the other side.