What You Should Not Be Doing in College

There’s a lot of things you could be doing in college, like doing homework, studying for tests … hanging out with friends while doing homework and studying tests. Whatever it is that you may decide to do, always keep in mind that you’re in college to learn and get that degree that you’ll end up paying tens of thousands of dollars for. There’s nothing wrong with having fun, of course, but in order to have a healthy, positive experience during you time in college, there are some things you’ll probably want to avoid.

Pulling All-Nighters

Many people seem to think that all-nighters really do work, but that’s only a myth. Because in reality, not only are you much less productive during the late hours of the night, but the next day, and the day after that…until you finally catch up on all those lost hours of sleep that your body needs to  function properly. And if you persist with it over the years, the sleep debt you accrue can lead to some serious long-term health problems later on in life.

Obsessive Use of Technology

Cellphones, computers, video games … cellphones. Come to think of it, we’re on these things almost all day, every day. Cellphones especially. There’s a word for this kind of thing: an addiction. Its been found in a fairly recent study that high cellphone usage can lead to higher anxiety and that learning to unplug every now and then can help with performance in school.

Pigging Out

You may think I’m a jerk for this one, but if you ever wonder why you’re packing on the Freshman 15, then you have your answer here. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with having the occasional pizza party every now and then, but if you’re continually shoveling fried chicken, hot dogs, pop tarts, and moon pies down your digestive tract on a daily basis, then you’re asking for a heart attack.

The best solution to not only avoid many unneeded doctor’s visits in the foreseeable future, but also feel better and more energetic (which in turn makes you more productive) as well, is to maintain a balanced diet and exercise regularly.

Sex, Drinking, Drugs

I’m just going to lightly breeze over this one because honestly, I don’t like talking about it. And I’m sure you don’t like hearing about it either. Too much of either one of these isn’t a good thing. Not only can they pose some serious physical issues, but they can affect you mentally and emotionally as well.

“But it’s the college life. That’s what it’s all about!”

I wholeheartedly disagree with you there. That’s not what college is about. It’s about getting an education and doing something with your life. Otherwise, it’s just a waste of potential.

Cheating

And I don’t mean by the kind that you do behind your girlfriend’s back (although you shouldn’t do that one either). I mean cheating, like on tests and research papers and the sort. Now unlike everything else, the problem with this one is more ethical than than it is an issue of health.

“But everyone else is doing it!”

Yep, but I’m sure that your mother once asked you the rhetorical question some time in you life: if everyone jumps off a cliff, should you do it too? And I’m sure you answered no to that one…and did it anyway.

Joining the Greek Society

Hey, we don’t need to make friends; let’s spend our hard-earned cash and buy friends instead. Seriously, out of everything else, this is probably the one that makes the least sense to me. I understand that people need to feel a sense of belonging, but does it need to be found among a group of stupid college students whose only thing in common with one another is that they have money? Yeah, there are some groups created with good purpose, but I’m sure you can find good people that represent those same values outside of a sorority or fraternity without having to worry about the jockeying and other nonsense that they’re normally associated with.

I’m sure there are more things that I could list here, but this just about covers most of it. Again, there’s nothing wrong with having fun. Only as long as it doesn’t interfere with your studies or cause you to make decisions that you may regret later on in life.