Ask HN: What do you wish that someone had told you before you attended college?
I'm entering college next year, and I want to get some advice from you considering that you're an intelligent, educated bunch.
Do make sure you get a good GPA. Find an internship at all cost and go to job fair.
Major in the right subject. This is very important. I made this mistake and it was too late to undo.
Don't drive drunk.
Seriously, don't take too many classes and brag about it like some of my friends. Nobody cares. The only reason when it would be acceptable is money issues.
Download all your books on libgen. Those cutthroat book publisher won't get a penny from me.
Get the easy professor and explore the subject on your own and drop into the hard professor's lecture so you can learn more. Don't let your ego get in the way. GPA and internship, just remember. Be smart about exams and pay attention to what might be on there. Again don't let your ego get in the way or you'll be destroyed in upper science and engineering classes.
Make good friends, it doesn't matter if they're not well connected.
Last but not least, be careful of women. I know friends who were on the brink of suicide because their gf cheated. This is not the place to give dating advice but I will just say, be careful of who you love or like.
My social skills got much better because of college and parties. In high school, I was basically a shut-in that spend all day reading about chemistry.
If there is one thing that I regret, it's that it took me too long to learn to be social like normal people. Basically not until junior year.
Normal people don't usually talk about deeply technical subjects and it's best not to show off or avoid hanging out with them, just because.
Be smart about the friends you choose.
Start a business (you'll never have this much free time again -- do something with it!)
Question your beliefs, and it's okay if you decide you still believe what you did when you were younger. The difference is now you have made that choice.
Eat fruits and vegetables at every meal. Even when they suck.
Good socks are worth the money.
Don't expect people to pay you back if you cover them for something (it's nice if they do, but count it as a donation -- at least among most of my friends!)
Get to know your advisor. Get to know your RA.
Go to outside meetings for things your interested in (seeing as you're posting on HN, I'm assuming it might be tech related -- check out meetup.com and find ones within an hour or two of your college. It's worth the drive.)
Call your parents more often than you think you should.
It's okay to ask for help (for academics, socially, emotionally, spiritually, whatever. Don't be afraid to ask.) Enjoy it as much as you can; you get to decide what your experience will be like.
My mother actually told me that, but I didn't listen and tried to finish as quickly as possible because I wanted to pursue an academic career (which I did and it was short and disappointing).
I was also told to try to make as many friends as possible and keep in touch with them, which didn't quite work - too many people I started out with dropped behind of schedule with classes and so I didn't make many friends.
My own advice (from hindsight) is to not be too ambitious with Master / PhD thesis subjects, unless you're certain you'll become the next Alan Turing. Always consider whether it seems doable in a reasonable time. Your ambitions and priorities will change and you only live once (as far as we know).
Listen to your advisor, they (for the most part) know what they're talking about.
If you don't have a few internships under your belt or a well developed portfolio of personal work, don't bother graduating.
Get a job where you can sit and do your homework. You'll be making money while doing something you have to get done anyways.
b) If you need therapy because your grades have dropped from 98 on the first try to like 94, you are probably FINE and can quit hyperventilating.