When in college it can be hard to try something new. We get so stuck in patterns of waking up, going to class, working, sleeping, and then repeating it all over again. It sometimes seems like it never ends. But there is hope! Her Campus partnered with the New York Times to interview Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit, about his time in college and what inspired him to be an entrepreneur. He talked about his colelged experience and shared some things he wishes he had tried when he was a student. Here are his tips!
Take a variety of different classes to fulfill everything that you are interested in!
Majors are great, but there is a chance you are still itnerested in things that don’t fall under what you are currently studying. So TRY OTHER THINGS. The University of Utah is full of fun classes that will help fill the void of what is missing in your life! Take a poetry, nutrition, or yoga class. Who knows, you might find some things that you really like doing!
Don’t constantly worry about your GPA
Your GPA is important, don’t get me wrong. But it is not the thing that should guide your entire college experience. Work hard, get good grades, but also have fun! Alexis Ohanian said he actually wishes he didnt’ worry about his GPA as much as he did when he was in school. Because college is a big deal, we sometimes get too focused on the numbers and think that they measure our worth. But that is not true. Making sure tha tyou are wel-rounded and have other things going on like extracurricular actitivies and downtime to recharge will make you an overall better student.
Step out of your comfort zone
College is about trying new things. It is the time when you can really find yourself. Go to your school’s club fair and learn about all of the incredible opportunities that are available on your campus. Taking the initiative and joining some clubs will help you meet new people and will help you continue to connect with the university community.
Maybe even… start your own business!
People don’t always think outside of the box of what they can do while they are in college. Sure there are kinds of majors you can pursue, but classes aren’t the only opportunities that are available to do you. The University of Utah has an AWESOME Entrepreneurship program. So if you have ever wanted to start a business/company like Alexis Ohanian, you can do it!
I interviewed Meghan Pollard, a University of Utah student studying Entrepreneurship about her time in the program at the U. Meghan said, “I have found so many powerful connections in the entrepreneurship school and was really impressed with the U’s academics in this program. I was able to have mentors who had done the dirty work and had gotten there. Going into entrepreneurship is a big leap of faith and is very scary. But I felt comforted by my advisors and professors and knew that they would be there for me throughout my college career.”
So now that you’ve heard these tips, it’s time to try some new things! We all talk about getting out of our comfort zones in college, but it’s about time we actually make it happen.