My advice to college students

This is for a project my friend is doing. Wow, putting it that way makes me look real unprofessional.

Real Advice from Real College Students

1. Be adventuresome. When you were in grade school, you were forced to follow your parents' rules. Once you are out of school and working in a real job, you will be forced to follow rules imposed by the harsh realities of employment and complete independence. In between are your college years, when you have nearly limitless free time and nobody really expects anything of you. So enjoy it. You can pretty much do anything within your physically and financial capabilities, no matter how irresponsible. Do what you want, when you want to.

2. But don't be too irresponsible. Remember, not having an immediate authority figure micromanaging your life doesn't mean your actions have no consequences. If you want to stop going to class, go ahead, but know that you won't be in college long if you do. If you want to stay up for days on end, go ahead, but accept that you will feel like shit. If you want to try exotic drugs, you might as well, but realize that the possible legal and chemical price is one you do not want to pay. Use your freedom well and college will be the time of your life, but only if you use it well.

3. Stay positive. This one goes especially for people from my home state, Hawai'i, who often struggle to adjust to a new climate and subtly but profoundly different culture. Homesickness is no excuse for not cutting it in college, even if your home is much better than the place you go to school. Every school has something you will enjoy. The key is to get to thinking of your new town as home. You'll never stop missing the sea, the sun, the unpretentiously multicultural foods, or the smiling, laid-back people of Hawai'i, or whatever makes where you come from special, but I predict that, with a positive attitude, you will find ample reason to like your new home.

4. Get off campus sometimes. To make things as easy as possible for you, your college will probably have everything could possibly need on its premises. That's helpful, but because you can get everything you need in a safe, familiar, nearby place, you are likely to start spending all of your time on campus. There's nothing wrong with that. But you may begin to see the world in terms of the handful of city blocks owned by your school and, when you see things that way, you may begin to feel like you are trapped in a big cage, like the teapot tempests of dorm life are all there is to life. When you start to feel that way, break out and explore the streets of your new hometown. The novelty, fresh air, and change of pace will make you feel much better.

5. Drink if you like, but be smart about it. Aside from the minor potential for starting a criminal record, there's nothing wrong with drinking alcohol--well, aside from the health risks, the possibility of irresponsible behavior, the dangers of addiction and the potential emotional effects. What I mean to say is that, once you have graduated, nobody will think less of you for having drank alcohol in college. Most people do it, and it can lead to great times if you know and respect your limits. Don't drink when you don't want to. Don't drink more than you want to. Don't drink when you feel like it would be a bad idea. Don't drink when you are sick. Don't drink when you are already extremely drunk. Don't drink too quickly. Maybe you shouldn't be doing other drugs in the first place, but if you do, you probably should not mix them with alcohol. All of this is common sense, and if it is not common sense to you, you shouldn't be drinking.

6. Ultimately, whatever people tell you, college is about learning. People say your time in college is the best time of your life. People say college is where you stop being a child and start being an adult. People say college is where you become the person who will live the rest of your life. All of these descriptions are accurate, but you shouldn't forget what your time in college really is beneath all of these wispy cliches: a time when you are paying staggering sums in exchange for knowledge and professional advantages. Bottom line: if you don't get the knowledge and don't get the degree, you are wasting your time and wasting a small fortune. You will be much happier years down the line if you reap the benefits of this opportunity to better yourself. Learning doesn't have to be your top priority. You don't need to spend all day and all night studying. But you need to get it done. If you remember nothing else, remember that advice as you go into college.

Alexander Tomchak
Senior, University of Oregon