Mistakes to Avoid in College 🎓

Hey y’all,

I hope AP exams are going well! Only a couple more days before things start to wind down. 🙏

Now as graduation looms near, I want to spend some time this week talking about mistakes to avoid in college.

If you’re an underclassmen (or not even in high school yet, lol) this newsletter should still be helpful! It’ll give you a glimpse into what college life is like and how it differs from high school.

Before we jump in, check out Next Admit if you’re a junior applying to college this fall. We have a team of Ivy League consultants ready to provide detailed essay feedback and edits in as little as 24 hours.

Alright, with that, let’s dive in.

Mistake #1: Signing up For 8 AM Classes

During my first semester in college, I decided to be ambitious and sign up for an 8 AM physics lecture, which I quickly learned was a grave mistake.

The first few lectures were a breeze—I woke up bright and early and made every single one.

But here’s the thing about college: you’re going to have many late nights, especially your freshman year.

Yes, most nights you’ll be up studying for your classes, but maybe you’ll spend some nights exploring the city, maybe you’ll be biking around campus, or maybe you’ll be going from club meeting to club meeting.

Life in college gets busy—but fun. And in my opinion, 8 AM classes (or early morning classes in general) are going to be hard to balance with your other commitments.

Ideally, I think your classes should be no earlier than 10 or 11 AM and no later than 4 PM—though of course you might not always have the luxury of choosing.

Mistake #2: Skipping Class

This one sounds super obvious.

But skipping class is often a slippier slope than most students realize. You might tell yourself that you’re only skipping one, but before you know it, you’ll have skipped an entire week and start falling behind.

Optional attendance is both a blessing and a curse in college. On the one hand, it grants a ton of flexibility as you can watch lecture recordings whenever, wherever. On the other hand, you need the discipline to stay on top of those recordings so they don’t stack up.

I’ll never forget this one night in college when I had to watch four linear algebra lectures in a row. (These ones, in case you’re interested, lol.) I’ve always loved math, but that night I started questioning myself. Cramming that much information at once was both painful and ineffective.

So yeah, please go to all of your lectures on time. Not only will you stay on top of your work, but you’ll also have the chance to ask questions in-person, which is much more effective than emailing a TA or going to office hours.

You’ll also have the chance to connect with your professor, which can be beneficial should you need a reference letter in the future.

Mistake #3: Sticking to Yourself

Look, if you’re introverted, I know that putting yourself out there can feel intimidating.

But here’s the truth about college: you get to reinvent yourself. Nobody knows who you are. Nobody has any preconceived notions about your character or abilities.

I highly encourage you to break out of your high school shell—to think about the kind of person you want to become. This doesn’t mean you should force yourself to be someone you’re not, but if there’s a side of you you haven’t been able to express fully, now is the time.

With that in mind, I encourage you to put yourself out there.

Within the first few weeks of college, everyone’s trying to make friends, and nobody will judge you for introducing yourself randomly.

A few months down the line, however, that might change slightly—most people will have formed their friend circles.

But the first few weeks are critical to the rest of your college journey. The people you hang with during this period will likely be your closest friends for the next four years.

I’ve both seen and experienced this first-hand. The friend circles I saw after the second week of college were the same circles I saw at graduation, mine included.

Also, choose your friends wisely. Think about the kind of person you want to become and whether the people you hang with reflect that image.

Mistake #4: Ignoring Your Health

College will naturally force you to have a semi-active lifestyle. You’ll have to walk from building to building to go to class, attend club meetings, meet friends, etc.

But it’s also very easy to slip away from this lifestyle because you don’t technically have to attend most lectures (or even join clubs for that matter).

Regardless of the position you find yourself in, make time to take care of yourself.

I find that many students start going to the gym once they get to college. Doing so is not only a great way to stay in shape, but also to meet new people.

However, if you’re not trying to start lifting, you could also run, shoot hoops, join a rec team—literally anything so you’re not cooped up in your room all day.

And try to be wary of what you’re eating—you shouldn’t be ordering Uber Eats or downing fast food every single night. (I was guilty of this my first month in college.)

Mistake #5: Ignoring Family

Yes, you’re going to be busy in college, but please make time to call your family.

Or if you don’t have the time to call, shoot a quick text to your family group chat just to let them know you’re alive. Update them on an exam, send a picture of your dinner, ask them how things are at home—literally anything, lol.

Of course, how often you want to talk to them is completely up to you, but I’d say at least once a week is a good amount.

I even had some friends who would even text their parents once a day.

Just don’t be that guy who texts their parents once every month (or even every couple months) just to ask for stuff. 😬

Hope that helped! What did you think about this newsletter? What do you want to see in the future? Feel free to DM me on Instagram to let me know (@goharsguide).

If you want additional study advice, come join my Discord! We have a global community of students helping each other succeed in school. Would love to see you there.

And if you need help with college applications, check out Next Admit! We have a team of Ivy League consultants eager to help you navigate the admissions process.

I’ll see you next week!

Best,
Gohar