What is the number one thing you would say to a freshman going into college?

Your school is more important than work. Do not drop or skip classes for work. Drop work for school. Dont be like me. I lost so many friendships from always being busy with work, and I attempted nearly 180 units while achieving not that many. I took and dropped trig and precalc and calculus so many times.

I am nearly 26 with no college degree, because I worked full time throughout my whole academic career since my sophomore year in high school.

And it did not just affect me. People were depending on me. Someone died because I would've been the only person to save them from suicide if I was well off enough to offer them a home when they told me they were living in their van.

People don't want to admit, but we all have responsibilities to look out for our friends and family. You don't just graduate college and try to get the highest paying jobs in your field just for yourself. You do it to help anyone you can that needs your help that won't find it anywhere else.

Okay? Do not drop your classes. Take a full load. Apply for financial aid, live with your parents 2 more years at least. Or move to a cheaper city TOGETHER with some friends, where you can easily split rent and groceries with PART TIME jobs only.

If you have adhd, bipolar, anxiety, depression, take advantage of being under 25 and seek professional help. There are many kinds of therapy techniques and medication available. One drug for adhd doesnt work on everyone else the same. There are several kinds, work with your doctor until you found the right one for your adhd. At least until you graduate college, then go ahead and try holistic and meditative approaches to fix your adhd without the medication. I am a good example to prove it doesn't really work though, but I am stubborn, and I'll keep on trying to make it without my medication.... but I've been trying for almost 6 years with no results.

So dont work, study a lot, try to slow down and focus deeply on your homework, just slow and deep thoughts to fully understand the material. I didnt do my homework and studying much, but when I did, I was able to understand it all easily because I knew how to focus deeply on it. My problem was that I wouldnt do it for long, and I kept putting it off, and blaming it on work, and not getting mental healthcare.

Stay in school, get through it, anyway you can. Get into study groups, cram 6 people in a cheap 2 or 3 person apt to cover the rent, just dont have the extras try to sign the lease.

One last thing. You can do it. No matter what your haters say, or what your inner negative thoughts say, YOU CAN DO IT. If you have the cognitive capacity to read and understand this post, your brain works fine enough to get through college. Just relax and study everything deeply and slowly to absorb all the information. Even if you think you relate to me, don't lose confidence. I could make it toox its just that I'm stuck. So if you think you're mentally fucked like I am, well, you're not fucked. You just need to take advantage of the available resources ASAP, instead of ignoring it all like I did.

/r/AskReddit Thread