Your years in college can be some of the most pivotal times of your life. Looking back, here are five things that I am glad I did in college.

Found Mentors

During my college years, I had some of the best mentors a student could have. I went to a school with a small student-to-teacher ratio and was about to create lasting friendships with some of my professors. These professors were able to navigate me through not only my college planning but my career path as well. It’s proven that having a mentor helps students succeed well after their years in college.

Prioritized Mental Health

Going into college is a huge life change. Many students are learning to navigate life for themselves for the first time as well as figuring out how to best manage their studies. During high school, mental health was a huge obstacle for me. I was constantly stressed out and the pressure to be the perfect student was a heavy burden to bear.

In college, I had a much better outlook of how to balance the study workload, maintain a part-time job, as well as be a good friend to those around me. Most universities offer a counselor on staff that is included in the price of tuition.

It’s more important than ever to surround yourself with positive and healthy friendships as well as allow yourself to have moments of self-care.

Kept My Notes and Books

After college, I couldn’t get rid of my trigonometry and chemistry notes quick enough. I never wanted to be reminded of those experiences every again. As a business major, I knew I wouldn’t likely be looking back at those formulas.

On the other side of that coin, I had classes specific to my business major that I knew I didn’t want to forget. I saved notes from my favorite and most influential classes. To this day, I pull out those notes to reference business tactics and advice that was noted along the way.

Search engines are a handy tool, but sometimes you might not know how to search what you’re looking to know. I have referenced back to some of my college books to find answers and knowledge of how to move forward in certain situations. For that reason, I find it important to keep some of your books after college.

Don’t Be Afraid to Network

Others that have paved the way before you have been where you are now. They want you to succeed and want to help you out on your journey. Finding those people in your college years is important to help you open up new opportunities.

Networking is the best way to meet people that might help you in the future. Knowing someone personally can have a better reach than your resumé alone.

Do Something You May Never Have the Chance to do Again

One of my fondest memories in college was the opportunity to participate in an internship across England. Justin and I chose to do this internship together one summer and I’m so glad that we made it happen. We were able to see new parts of the world, experience different cultures, as well as build wonderful relationships abroad.

We swore that we would travel back someday, but with jobs, kids, and other responsibilities, that opportunity hasn’t met us over the past eight years. If we had not made the effort to do this in college, who knows if or when we would have ever had the opportunity to visit England.

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If you enjoyed this post, you’ll also want to read about THINGS I WISH I’D DONE IN COLLEGE.

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