I wish I’d spent more of my first few weeks of college absorbing the experience rather than worrying whether I was doing well enough academically, making enough friends or joining enough clubs. Before I left for college, I heard that up until Thanksgiving break, you’ll be homesick. I wish I’d listened to the assurance that came after that: After break is over, you’ll love going back to college.
–Laura Jeanne Hammond, graduate of University of Missouri-Columbia and your favorite editor!

When I was a senior in high school, I wish I knew that senior year still counted. Because I thought that I was an invincible senior, I did what I wanted, and that didn’t involve studying or going to school! I ended up almost not graduating, and I had a hard time getting accepted to colleges.
–Jessica Gaspar, Monroe Community College in Rochester, N.Y.

It’s never too early to start your applications! They take a huge amount of time that you, as a busy high school student, are going to see is hard to find. Start researching and visiting schools early on. Narrow your list by the very beginning of your senior year (assuming you’re not applying early action, in which case you need to do this months earlier), and start filling out those applications right away. The deadline isn’t for three months? BIG DEAL. When your friends are frantically scrambling to get their applications done three days before the deadline, you’ll be cool as a cucumber.
–Sarah Buckley, graduate of Simmons College in Boston

Live life with passion. Do everything the best you can. It may not feel like people notice, but they do. When it comes time for a letter of recommendation or even farther down the road when looking for a job, these people can and will help you. Then you will realize that they did notice all the effort and passion you put into projects.
–Alexis Speck, graduate of St. John Fisher College in Rochester, N.Y.

Live with your whole heart and laugh with your whole self. Cherish the moments that seem to last forever—in your heart, they will. Celebrate the little things; cry when necessary. And learn to look back with no regrets. Doubting from where you’ve come means doubting where you are today. These are, indeed, the best years of your life! –Heather Werle, graduate of University of Missouri-Columbia

As a senior in high school, I wish that I knew how vital homework was for success in a college course. Do your homework! Also, it would’ve been helpful to know that there are more resources for success than you may realize.
–Mike Maturo, junior at University of Southern California

I would have wanted to know more about the actual cost of college and how loans worked. It wasn’t until I began paying off my loans that I realized their complexity. My advice to you is to REALLY read your promissory note. Make sure to communicate with your parents about your ability to handle the debt that will accrue, and talk about how you will handle your debt while you are still in college. How you handle your money now WILL affect you later.
–Diana Bish, graduate of Ohio University in Athens, Ohio

Before heading off to college, I never truly realized just how many opportunities there are for college students to get involved on campus. Your college career will seem much more fulfilling if you play an active role in it. Most colleges have a fun day at the beginning of the year where academic and social organizations set up booths with information on their groups and how to join. I made sure to hit this up to see what the college had to offer. It is a great way to meet new people and make countless connections.
–Connie Seastedt, graduate of Illinois State University