newjerseynewsroom.com

BY JASMINE MARCUS

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Following the Newsroom's guide for what to bring to college, I thought that as a recent graduate I'd share some advice for what to do in college.

1. Join a club. Maybe take a semester first to get used to the workload, but then find something to do in your free time besides stalking people on Facebook. In addition to making new friends, this will also allow you the opportunity to bolster your resume or make a difference in the area around your college. Joining my college newspaper not only helped me gain internships, but I also made some of my best friends there.

2. Don't limit your circle of friends to your roommates and hallmates. Despite what Maureen Dowd may have you believe, this small group of people can be limiting. Since I didn't quite click with my suitemates, I was glad to discover that there were hundreds of other students out there all looking to make friends as well.

3. Get your requirements out of the way early on. This can introduce you to subjects you may otherwise dismiss, but more importantly, it will leave you free to take fun electives as an upperclassman. While my friends were struggling to finish their science requirements, I was busy learning about Fleetwood Mac in my History of Rock ‘N Roll course.

4. Stock up on underwear. Doing laundry if it's your first time isn't nearly as hard as everyone would have you believe. It's just that the hour-and-a-half it will take could be better spent studying or hanging out with friends. By hoarding extra socks, you won't have to do it as often.

5. Don't over do it. Ten of the 30 kids on my freshman floor ended up in the hospital with alcohol poisoning. Definitely go to a few parties, but also remember that there are tons of other fun things to do around campus. Most colleges publish a list of fun or unique things to do before you graduate. While I only completed about half of Cornell's 161 items, many of the activities I checked off — such as climbing Cornell's beautiful clock tower with my roommate — have been my favorite memories.

6. Don't compare college to the schools you see in movies, especially at the beginning. Most people I know were confused freshman year because they weren't enjoying "the best four years of life" as much as they thought they ought to. The transition to harder classes and making new friends can be tough at first, as is the pressure to have a blast every single day. Once you start to make friends and find your niche, however, you'll realize that there is no "typical" college experience, and that you can have fun without living like a character from a teen comedy.

7. Don't try to predict the future because four years is a long time. The best advice I got when choosing a college was from my dad who said, "At one school you'll meet your best friend. At another you'll figure out what you want to do in your life. At another you'll find a great boyfriend. And at another you'll meet an inspiring professor. You just don't know which school will give you which." While I'd like to think I was lucky enough to find the first three, it's true that you can't know how you and your interests will change, and what will happen to you during that time.

So in a few weeks, once you've finished packing your car with a lifetime's supply of items from Bed Bath and Beyond, remember that there are still a few more things you need to do.

And ditch the alarm clock, that's what cell phones are for.