College is probably one of the best and worst times of everyone’s life.  I know I personally have had my fair share of ups and downs. Here are five lessons that I’ve stumbled across along the way and offer as advice to all of you:

1. Go to class

Going to class is the reason for going to college. That is literally the point: to go to class and learn. If you are not going to class, you’re not learning. You are simply just paying thousands of dollars to go to sit around and watch Netflix all day in your dorm room.

2. Do your homework

Along with going to class you have to do your homework. Whether or not you think it is essential for you to be doing work outside of class you have to do it. Not only does homework help you get a refresher of information, it also gets you a good chunk of points.

3. Your teachers are not out to get you

Believe it or not teachers are not out to get you. Sometimes it may feel like a teacher doesn’t like you or is too hard on you, but that teacher is just looking out for your best interest. They want to fill your brain with enough knowledge as possible because they believe in you and want you to be successful.

4. You will lose your friends

Those friends from high school you made a pact with to be “best friends forever”- probably really will not last forever. You and your friends will eventually stop calling each other, learn less of what’s going on in each other’s lives, and probably drift off. As life gets harder you naturally starting picking through friends and letting some toxic people in your life go, even if it means the “best friend” you have not heard from in a year and a half.

5. Appreciate your parents/guardians

Your parents care about you. They want to hear about the class you did not go to, or the homework you did not do, or the teacher that hates you, or your friend you don’t talk to anymore. Your parents want to hear about all your failures and all your successes. And let’s face it: your parents are not getting any younger. Trust me, I know that as college students we tend to get tied up in our own lives, but let’s not forget the ones who brought us up and who are always the ones to help us out of a bind when we need it. Dear old mom and dad. Show them a little love from time to time. Give them a call. I am sure they would love to hear from you.

Chynna Miller is senior theatre arts major.
She can be reached at 581-2812 or cdmiller3@eiu.edu.