Don't screw up on your first year - a C letter grade is hard to bring up. It's fine to party every once in a while, but don't make it a habit going to one or hosting one. Use your first year to explore. Your second year is pushing it, but it's fine. By your third year, you should have your major solidified in stone, unless you want to be in college for a long time. Don't let people dissuade you from going through community college. It's cheaper to go through there and you're just getting your GED requirements and lower div classes out of the way in a community college. Think about it this way: Would you rather be ~$1k in debt, or ~$10-20k in debt? Don't knock off liberal arts degrees as useless - Those also are good degrees. Sure, liberal arts degree holders tend to go for jobs that people shit on (especially those who have at maximum, an associate's college degree, a high school diploma, or worst case scenario, a high school dropout), and the jobs that they get aren't overly appreciated, but the people who hold those degrees tend to have jobs such as elementary school teachers, people who go for therapeutic studies, or convalescent home caretakers. Basically, these degrees are also important and aren't useless, even though a majority of people who don't have a college degree think that they are useless. The previous paragraph is coming from someone who has a degree in the STEM field (Biology) and does research (Biological research, went from studying tree lifespans and product yields to studying live animal interactions with their environments and food). Even though I have a degree in the STEM field, I understand and heavily appreciate the need for humanities majors. Go to your professor's office hours. Contrary to popular belief among incensed and bitter college students, most professors WANT their students to succeed and learn. They hold office hours for students who are struggling and are willing, able, and happy to help out a student in their class who actively seeks out the assistance. If you're in a tough class, don't be afraid to get help from the person who literally writes out the exam for your class. Students who fail hard classes and say that their professor is a piece of shit probably doesn't go to their office hours and slacks around all day expecting an easy A class. This is also coming from someone who used to be a TA during college: I enjoy helping out students who need help, but if someone says that a professor is terrible at their job just because they're being hard on the class, and that person never has been to an office hour for either their TA or their professor, it's their fault that they're failing. They are given the tools and assistance to help them succeed, and they aren't using it to their advantage. Care for your personal hygiene and health. No one wants to sit next to someone who smells like swamp ass and looks like they're a zombie. Eat breakfast, get 6-8 hours of sleep a day, and talk with others when you have a break. It's better to study an hour a day for a test and get 8 hours of sleep rather than studying the night before a test and getting no sleep. Don't take criticism personally. If your professor/TA says that your paper is lacking/really bad and they give tips, follow those tips. These are the people that want you to succeed, and they aren't there to hold your hand throughout your entire college career. By the time you're in college, they expect you to be an adult, and will treat you like one. If they're harsh on your work, suck up your pride and listen to them: They want to help you as much as they can, even if it means that they have to be the "villain". Utilize all of your resources as much as you can. If you're having a really bad day, or an anxiety attack, or something really bad has happened in your life, don't bottle it up. Most colleges have a psychologist that they hired. Go to them if you're feeling really bad. If there is a workshop that your school has to get further ahead and you have the time available to go to it, go to that workshop. Many colleges also have a food pantry program. If you're hurting for food to last you the next two weeks or so, sign up for it. Food pantry programs usually have non-perishable items to give out. Work on time management. This is easily one of the most important skills you will learn in college and will carry on throughout your entire life. It'll ensure that you will get through college smoothly and nearly effortlessly.