People Are Sharing Popular Pieces Of Advice For College Students That Are Actually Toxic (And Other Tips That Are Seriously Game-Changing)

It's that time of year again: The air is getting crisp, pumpkin spice lattes are back on every menu, and it's time to go back to school. If you're a student entering college or university, you are approaching some of the most pivotal, challenging, and rewarding years of your life. And you're bound to hear a whole lot of advice from others.

So Redditor u/Sorry-Spell777 asked, "What's the worst college advice you've ever heard?" People responded with some toxic advice for students, and they also shared their best advice for people entering this new life phase.

1. Toxic: "'Say yes to everything!' I understand the sentiment that it's important to try new things, but saying yes for the sake of saying yes can quickly drain you out — especially when you're saying yes to things that you don't really like."

2. Toxic: "Private college is best. I've realized a lot of people will transfer out of a perfectly great state school because it's not prestigious enough, and they go into far more debt than they need to. On the other hand, I had a friend transfer from a highly-ranked school to a state school because it was too expensive, and he still had a great job. That made me question prestige. IMO, it's your hard work, effort, and willingness to network. This is what gets you where you want and need to be."

— u/wimming_Growth_2632

3. Helpful: "Look at the possible job outcomes of your major. They make so many books about this. It boggles my mind when people graduate and are like, 'Well I don't know what I want to do; how was I supposed to know what job I should be working towards as a history major!?'"

4. Toxic: "Take out more than you need in a loan and live off the refund. Oof."

— u/lumberlady72415

5. Toxic: "Doing an X or Y major leads to job security and easy money after graduation. This isn't necessarily the case."

6. Helpful: "Aside from the financial aspect, even something as simple as a low-stress on-campus job is really good for personal growth. You meet many people and learn soft skills that help you once you get a post-grad job."

— u/IaniteThePirate

7. Helpful: "Get involved early. I can't tell you how many people miss the forest for the trees. They go to college and get good grades yet do nothing else. Then, when it's time to job hunt, they get continuously edged out because they missed the entire experience outside the classroom."

8. Helpful: "Get comfortable with using an online calendar/planner right away! Once you get your syllabi for classes, put your assignments in with reminders a few days ahead to track when deadlines are approaching. This will help you visualize the parts of the semester when multiple assignments are due at once and help organize your work time."

— u/SASSYEXPAT

9. Toxic: "You're too old to go back to college (or even to start)."

10. Helpful: "Talk to your professors before you're in trouble or need a favor. If they know you're trying, they're more likely to listen and be able to offer more targeted suggestions than 'well, you should've been paying attention' when you do mess up."

— u/deleted

11. Toxic: "Major in something 'practical' like computer science, accounting, nursing, etc. Just get a college degree and become part of the professional managerial class. Having a degree means you can get an entry-level admin job with many companies."

12. Helpful: "At some point, book a meeting with your career center to learn about things you can do during college to set yourself up for success post-college."

— u/bariotsu

13. Toxic: "That Cs are fine. True, if you're in a major that's not grade-heavy or planning for grad school, but in many cases, you should aim to get higher grades for the challenge and keep your options and employment opportunities high, especially in accounting or finance."

14. Helpful: "Your group of friends from the welcome week will NOT be the same people you hang out with during your senior year, and that's okay."

— u/I_am_the_butt

15. Toxic: "Go to all the social events during your freshman year. While it isn't bad advice in intent, I found myself near social burnout and physically ill (common cold) from trying to be extroverted during the first few weeks. Furthermore, as a morning person, I was always half-dead when social events started late at night. A much better piece of advice would be to find a few clubs/activities one will consistently go to and stick to them."

16. Toxic: "You need X, Y, or Z extracurricular to get into college. Look: If you don't want to do it, don't do it! Don't be needlessly miserable. Don't start a business or nonprofit just to get into college.

— u/babygeologist

17. Toxic: "'Don't take 8 a.m. classes.' After college, you'll have a job that requires you to be at work at 8 a.m. Better to be prepared."

18. Helpful: "Try out new things. I'm not saying college is a 'time to experiment,' but it's a new chapter for you and has plenty of opportunities to try stuff out. Join a club that aligns with an interest, attend events that pique your curiosity, and do stuff like that."

— u/bariotsu

19. Helpful: "Talk to people. College is one of the most amazing times for meeting new people and making new friends. Take advantage of that."

20. Toxic: "'College is a scam! Don't bother.' I'm 30 and have spent my adult life working with little upward mobility. The type of work I want to do requires education. College is worth it."

— u/sassylemone

21. Toxic: "That it doesn't matter where you go to college. When I was a 19-year-old, I didn't understand that different colleges had vastly different social scenes, and I should find the one that was right for me."

22. Helpful: "Find an internship in college, and you'll make your life afterward (and especially post-grad) one hundred times easier."

— u/StoicallyGay

Do you have one to add? What's a common piece of advice for students starting college or university is actually sort of toxic? And what great advice would you offer instead? Tell us in the comments or in this anonymous form .

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.