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I want to start this post by saying that I do not regret going to college. And I would never deter anyone from attending. However, I do feel that there are some mistakes I made in college that I am paying for now, a little later than 2 years after graduation. I suppose this post can only benefit those who have not attended college yet or those who are still early enough in their college careers to turn the ship around. Or those who are on the 7-year plan.

So let it begin…

Mistake #1: Choosing a Major I Wasn’t Interested In (At The Time)

When I first enrolled at Louisiana Tech University, I had decided I was going to major in journalism. And then I went to general studies. And then computer science. And then I finally settled on marketing. Why? Because I wanted to graduate and I figured a business degree would be useful someday. Marketing just seemed the most interesting of the business disciplines. Sure, I have an interest and passion for marketing now, but this wasn’t the case when I was in college. This mistake is somewhat related to #2. So without further delay…

Mistake #2: Leaving My Education In The Hands Of My Professors

There was a time when I read nothing but fiction, fiction, fiction. Now, I read mostly business and marketing-related books. But in college, I didn’t go that extra mile to further my education on my own. I listened to the lectures and read the required texts all for the sake of passing the test. However, after reading books by authors like Seth Godin and David Meerman Scott, I’ve since discovered that most of what I learned in my business courses was obsolete. These two guys have taught me so much more than my lectures and classroom texts ever did. Please, go that extra mile. Pick up a book related to your subject. Professors teach the same subjects year after year. They teach the same material because it’s familiar and rehearsed. But this is your future we’re talking about. No matter what your major is, read books related to your major. You’ll be glad you did.

Mistake #3: Failing To Network And Get Involved

I made friends in college. But I didn’t network, I didn’t join any organizations. In that regard, my college resume is blank. Looking back, I wish I’d joined some organizations and taken the opportunity to hold leadership roles. But I didn’t. It’s nobody’s fault but my own.

Mistake #4: Not Attempting To Get An Internship

I never tried to get an internship. Why? I already had a part-time job in college. The job wasn’t relevant to anything I wanted to do in the future, but I decided to keep it. I should have been more bold. And you should too. Try for an internship. Every bit of real-world experience helps.

Mistake #5: Not Developing Relationships With Professors

If I needed a letter of recommendation from an academic professional, I’d have no one to turn to. I’m serious. Maybe I could turn to the dean of my department, only because he might want to help out an alum from his department. But I’m not sure there’s a single professor who would remember me. And that’s my fault for not making myself more memorable. I shied away from my professors. Why? I’m not sure. But I completed my assignments and usually spoke to the professor only when I had a question or concern about something related to class. Looking back, I should have gone a step further and discussed my assignments in more detail with my professors. I should have shown more interest and developed relationships. Maybe I’ll work on that if I ever go to grad school (that’s if I can get the recommendations to get in! Ha!)

I’m sure I made more mistakes, but these seem to be the most critical ones I can think of. Notice that I said nothing about joining a fraternity in this post. If your concern is meeting people and developing meaningful relationships, you can do that outside of a fraternity.

If you can think of some mistakes you made in college that you are now paying for, please share in the comments.

P.S. I’m not talking about that night you drank too much and went streaking the quad. Let’s save those mistakes for another discussion.