What do you wish you did or knew in college/university?

Each year at this time there are articles that come out about what students who are about to start college need to know in order to help them navigate the newest life adventure.  This list is perhaps the best single thing I have seen on this topic. It is pragmatic, caring, funny and right on target on many important issues. Much of this applies to students in secondary school too.

I wish I could take credit for these golden nuggets; instead, I want to thank Horace Pan, who gave me permission to post his words here. He wrote this response on the website Quora.com.  Over 55,000 people have read and I think lots more should.

Horace is currently a PhD student at the University of Chicago.

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1. Don't room with a friend from high school. People change; you'll change too. Let it happen.

2. Try to go to the gym at least 3 times a week. It'll keep you fit, help you de-stress after classes/exams.

3. You know that 3 week period at the very start of freshmen year where everyone went out of their way to be nice and get to know everyone? Keep doing that throughout college. You never know who you'll get along with. Lifelong friends are found in the oddest places and times.

4. Go to class.

5. Get at least 7 hours of sleep every day.

6. Eat healthy. Greens are good.

7. In every class, try to find a study buddy within the first week of class. See pt. 3 earlier. You do most of your learning from your peer group, not in the classroom.

8. Date people. There is no other time in your life where you'll be surrounded by people who are in your age group and eager to meet other people. If you think it's weird to randomly start a conversation with that smart gal/guy in the library, think about how much more creepy it is to do the same at a random Starbucks when you're out of college. Also, this will give you more incentive to do pt 2.

9. Get comfortable with chatting with people randomly/making small talk. It's a skill that takes time to cultivate(particularly if you're more of the introverted type). Get used to it. It also helps with 3 and 8.

10. Find a mentor. Before your senior year, try to form a meaningful relationship with at least one professor. They'll be invaluable as you navigate your way through your early twenties. Having someone who can vouch for you is also incredibly useful when you need references for grad school, and job/rental/housing applications.

11. Everyone says find your passion and pursue it, but it's not always so easy to figure out what exactly it is that you love doing. If you're in that boat, all I can suggest is to cast a wide net and do a lot of different things(volunteer, sign up for random classes that you're not sure you interested in, join clubs) and see what sticks.

12. Try to become a teaching assistant for at least one semester to get a taste of what teaching is like( and to a lesser extent, see how much time gets put into running a class).

13. Learn to cook. College is the best time to do this since you'll have the most time to experiment during these four years. Results might be a bit disastrous at first, but as long as you commit to cooking 3-5 dinners a week, you'll find you can get better at cooking pretty quickly.

14. Make friends with upper AND lower classmen. Don't just stick with people in your year. Again, see 3.

15. Keep a stash of snacks(ideally healthy snacks like nuts, trail mix, etc) on you at all times. This does not mean you should be eating a bag of Skittles every day because you're always carrying a bag of candy with you. Sharing snacks helps with 3. Also, studying is a lot easier when you have snacks.

16. Stay hydrated. Always.

17. Go to parties with at least one friend. There's safety in numbers. Also, don't let friends go to parties alone. You should be looking out for your friends as much as they should be looking after you.

18. Know your limits. Thinking about juggling 6 classes, a board position at a club, and research? Chances are you won't have time for it all. Drop some of your commitments so that you can really focus on the ones that matter to you.

19. On a related note, set aside some time in your schedule for leisure. Working 80+ hours on psets and other academic obligations is a sure way to burn out. Your mind needs to rest once in a while.

20. Know your limits part 2. Figure out how many drinks you can take early on. Blacking out is incredibly dangerous. See 17. Look out for your friends who are past their limits as well.

21. It's okay to make mistakes. Getting a C in a class is not the end of the world. It does not mean you'll never be able to find a job or get into med school or graduate school. But learn from your mistakes so that they don't happen again.

22. Don't stress out all that much about your GPA. It matters a bit, but not as much as you think it does.

23. Do the course readings before lecture. It'll make lecture easier to follow and helps you retain the knowledge better.

24. Wash your bed sheets/pillow cases at least once every two weeks.

25. Practice safe sex.

26. If you're feeling down, talk to someone. Go to mental health services. Talk to mom/dad/a sibling/a friend. Don't just try to bear it alone.

27. Call mom and dad at least once every week. Minimum. More often is better. Your parents will never tire of hearing your voice so don't worry about being a pest with your calls.

28. Keep in touch with old friends. Friendships take effort to maintain. You'll quickly figure out which relationships you hold dear, and which you never really cared for. Once you do, do something to keep those bonds alive - a simple text/call every now and then to check up on an old pal is good. Postcards/written letters are great too.

29. Have a journal. Jot things down. You'd be surprised at how many times a really useful insight pops into your head when you least expect it(for problem sets, research, etc).

30. Sunscreen up. Try to find a daily moisturizer with SPF 15+ and actually use it every day. That'll go a long way towards protecting your skin from sun damage.

There are lots of other useful bits of advice I wish I had known when going through college but this is a good start.

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I wish I had this list went I went off to school.  I will re-enforce  two things I found that helped me a great deal academically.

Find a mentor. The research on this is overwhelming. Having a mentor will change your life.

Get a study buddy.  Go to a place with this person at the same time on certain days and do nothing but get stuff done. Instead of dealing with texts instagram snapchat etc, focus on work. It saves time and gets you in a habit that works well.

I will add this:

Perfectionism is not something you are doomed to. Neither is procrastination. Habits can be made or broken.