What Students Need To Know About College Life

Question: I want to be ready to handle college when I arrive on campus a year from now. What things do I really need to know? -- High-School Senior

Answer: Some of the best advice that you will ever get about handling the challenges of college life will come from talking to current students. Talk to as many as you can. Here's the advice of several college students and recent graduates about what you need to know before starting college:

Don't sign up for too many early morning classes. I was always exhausted from staying up so late. -- Shari

Learn how to balance studying and your social life. Believe it or not, I went overboard studying. -- Carla

Be able to manage your finances. My parents kept asking me where the money was going. -- Ken

Realize that everyone is trying to figure out how to handle college. I thought it was just me. -- Betsy

Know how freely alcohol flows at college parties. Too many of my friends had problems with this. -- Jane

Be sure you can handle essay questions. I'd never had an essay test in high school. -- Martha

Think about possible careers. I had no idea of what classes would be helpful. -- David

Be a good time manager. I couldn't keep my grades up and play football. -- Tyrone

Know how to handle the freedom without parental direction. I cut too many classes. -- Dennis

Start taking core classes required for graduation right away. I'm still working on these classes as a fifth-year senior. -- Mark

The following books give an entertaining and helpful view of handling college life: "College Survival: A Crash Course for Students by Students," "College Companion: Real Students True Stories Good Advice" and "Been There, Should've Done That II: More Tips for Making the Most of College."