Ask HN: What advice do you have for a college student?

Maximize your time in college across all domains: Studies, social life, learning new things, meeting new people.

College may be the easiest time in your adult life to meet new friends. Take advantage of that, because it only gets harder from here. Build many good relationships.

Talk to your professors like normal human beings which they are. Ask about their family and their hobbies and interests. If only to make sure you have sources for letters of recommendation in the future.

Second tip: start a blog in whatever industry you want to work in post college to showcase public creativity.

1. Take classes regarding subjects that are difficult to learn on your own and mentoring is useful. Certain subjects like Math take a lot of discipline to learn so school structure helps make it happen.

2. Think of school as a way to exchange time for money. Going to school for 4 years will likely land you a job that would have taken 10 years of job experience without the education.

3. Treat it like a job. Get up - do the work. Try and keep enough free time to let you decompress and enjoy your school experience. Most students don't succeed simply because they cannot manage their time.

4. Don't think of school as preparing you for a job. You are building a toolbox. What you build with it is up to you.

5. Get it done. As you get older you will never again have the amount of time to focus simply on yourself and learning new things.

First tip: don't ask for advice from people who know nothing about you. The less context people have about your specific situation, the more generic and less useful their advice is going to be.

Learn how to swim