4 Peripheral Lessons Learned in College

You know you're going to learn all about time-management and laundry -- and you know you're going to have the time of your life. But what about the other stuff that comes along with the college experience?

Life Lesson No. 1: Hang out with the right people.
You’re going to make lifelong friends in college. Duh. Most of you probably already have. But what about those people you just can't stand? You know who I'm talking about: the guy down the hall who always tags along but really gets under your skin. Or the friend-of-a-friend with whom you eat lunch every day but have nothing in common. Well, it sounds simple (and a little rude), but don't waste your time! Hang out with people you want to be around (and who want to be around you).

Life Lesson No. 2: Time is precious.
You've heard time and time again -- no pun intended -- that college flies by incredibly fast. It's cliche but true. And that applies, in large part, to everyday life. Sometimes, the hours in the library will seem to melt together. Other times, the nights in a row in the library can become a blur. Between all the partying and studying, the extracurriculars and the mealtimes, the gym excursions and time spent doing nothing … embrace it.

Life Lesson No. 3: Reading doesn't always suck.
Operative word here? Always. Being bogged down with a bio textbook or a stack of international foreign policy articles is never fun. Sometimes, however, you'll strike gold. I've heard of introductory writing classes that focus on The Simpsons and Harry Potter. You'll also get some great book lists in sociology and environmental science. So don't fret ... entirely.

Life Lesson No. 4: Being spontaneous is harder than you think.
Maybe that's kind of a Debbie Downer-ish thing to say. But hey, it builds on the “time is precious” concept. Plan, plan, plan and plan again when it comes to weekend trips and visits from friends. Of course, you could do everything last-minute (just like that English paper), but it's always better when you’ve got a concrete schedule to work with. Um … good luck with that.