Going to College? Take Their Advice

We asked readers about their college experience, and what they wish they had known sooner both inside and outside the classroom. We heard from hundreds of students and former students across the country and in Canada. The answers have been edited and condensed.
Outside of the classroom, what do you wish you had known?

Brittany Collins, Westhampton, Mass., Smith College

In the way that my acquiring a disability put into perspective the ways in which perfectionism was guiding my academic path, so do I wish that I had sought balance outside of the classroom in college. When I returned to school after my leave, I found in the peers around me stories and experiences at times more educational than those found in textbooks.

At community colleges, and in an online degree completion program, everyone’s lives had altered from “the path.” We were thrown hurdles and had to adapt, find workarounds, wait, try, resolve. Yet there we were, in one classroom — a patch-worked bunch of learners committed to sticking out life’s turns in pursuit of education.

Rachel Lo, Oviedo, Fla., University of Florida

I wish I had taken better care of myself — my physical and mental health. And prioritized my sleep. I would’ve been healthier, less stressed and more resilient during difficult periods. The sooner you ingrain healthy habits early on, the better... (continues)