15 Brief Tenets to Living College Life and Life in General by Jeremy Munro

15 Brief Tenets to Living College Life and Life in General

1. Enjoy seeing people you don’t know too well or have fallen out with walking around campus, talk to them, don’t ignore them, initiate conversation instead of feeling shame for not saying anything. AKA Be Friendly.
2. Get some hobbies outside of TV, drinking, and working out. Don’t be that person who defines their interests as only “TV, Friends, Family, and Parties.” Drinking can become a hobby, learn about the stuff you like and try new stuff instead of PBR or crappy vodka. Read a book every week or two outside of class reading. Reading more never hurt anyone for the most part.
3. If you see someone interesting, say hi, talk to them about whatever you think you both might find interesting, ask questions. Most people have pretty good back stories if you appreciate that kind of thing. The worst that can happen is they ignore you or think you’re awkward. If they are that way then well would you want to be friends with someone like that anyway?
4. Don’t shit talk other people, even if you don’t like them, keep your opinions to yourself even if you know the other people around you would agree with them.
5. Think about what you say, especially if you are on a small campus, news travels fast, especially the negative kind.
6. Listen to people instead of only talking about yourself. Be the person people seek for advice instead of the person seeking advice constantly. It will make you more independent and confident. Plus, people love talking about themselves, it’s a fact and it’s really easy to come off as a conversational master by asking tons of simple questions.
7. Learn to enjoy sitting alone.
8. Walk off campus instead of sitting in your room. If you live in a city campus then go somewhere you don’t normally.
9. Go to a bar alone for a drink every once in awhile or if you aren’t of age, go have a drink in the woods or on a porch or wherever, just have one drink, alone and think about shit.
10. Have a casual conversation with a professor at least once a week and on that same note, ask questions and don’t be scared to answer questions because you want to seem cool and aloof. Don’t walk around like somebody who thinks they are too cool, the professors and many students see right through the facade. The one thing our generation needs less of is being cool and aloof.
11. Try new foods if given the opportunity, mix it up.
12. Think about what you interfacing with another person feels like in their shoes. It makes most social interactions way less scary and also can help you tell when you’re potentially being awkward. There is no reason to be an awkward penguin. Instead of sitting back, grab life by the balls and be confident, even if you aren’t. You’ll feel amazing afterward.
13. Go to a party/campus event/whatever, introduce yourself to random people, strike up a conversation.
14. Take solo night strolls around campus, you never know who or what you will see.
15. Most of all, don’t be a dick.

     

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