The Girl sent me a text last night telling me that she is now cured of her fear of heights. She went rock climbing with some friends and “made it to the top,” and then mentioned something about it was totally something she could check off her college bucket list.
When I asked her if she had a bucket list she said “No, but getting over my fear of heights would have been on it if I did.” The conversation got me to thinking, what would be on a college bucket list? I mean, when in life will you ever be so free to experience things again if not during college?
Here’s my top 20:
- In honor of The Girl, conquer your biggest fears. Face them head on, and decide if they are really all that bad. Maybe if you are lucky, like The Girl, you won’t have to carry them around with you for the rest of your life.
- Become a local. Where ever you go for college, really get to know the area. Make sure to experience the beaches, hikes, the nightlife, and the culture the city/town has to offer. You may end up staying, and you may not, so live it up there for the 4 {or 5} years it takes to graduate.
- Go to at least one “college party.” It doesn’t mean you have to get crazy and live with a night of hazy regrets, but go, just to say you did it.
- Try every single item in the dining hall at least once. Not because it is good–it probably isn’t, but because it is a goal and a silly challenge.
- Join a club. It sounds ridiculous {at first}, but who knows, you might just meet lifelong friends–or I don’t know, find a purpose in life. It could be that big. 🙂
- Get bold and ask someone out, knowing full well they could say yes…or no.
- Write at least one article for the school newspaper. Get your voice out there, live in infamy with your name in print.
- Be a spectator at at least one sporting event–whether your like sports or not. It’s campus culture, you have to try it at least once.
- Attend some of the extras. When the school offers guest speakers, etc. make it a point to go. You may actually have your mind blown. Plus, once you leave school you have to pay big bucks to hear influential people speak–take advantage of it while it is including in your already outrageous tuition.
- Make out with someone for the sake of making out. Yep, I said it. Keep it innocent {that’s the mom in me talking}, but in the words of the British, have a little snog and move on. 😉
- Volunteer. Here’s the truth, it will make you feel amazing, AND you just might make connections that will help you after you graduate.
- Sit in on classes just because they interest you. Now is the time to “try on” several possible lives. Find out what you are passionate about. Life is really boring without passion.
- Learn from heartbreaks. College inevitably brings heartbreak. Instead of spiraling into the abyss, use it like you would a college class. What will you put up with in the future? Learn how to be strong and independent. Figure out what it takes to get you back up on your feet. This is the chance to prove to yourself you don’t need to fall apart and that life goes on. If you get this one mastered in college, you’ll be WAY AHEAD of most of the adult world.
- Learn your limits. Everyone knows that college can be a drunken debauchery. This is the time to learn your limits–you may have to learn to live with regrets too, on that note. Have fun, but figure out exactly where fun ends and regrets begin.
- Dumpster dive. Weird? Maybe. But, then again, you just might find some eclectic treasures {velvet Elvis tapestry, anyone?} that you will carry with your until your future spouse finally makes you throw it away…again. {You may learn a thing or two about our throw away culture while you are at it.}
- Take a road trip. College road trips are the best. You are already used to living in tight quarters, so your expenses will be shockingly low. Grab some friends and see how far you can get on a tank of gas. See the country.
- Figure out your learning style. This one little nugget of information will help you the rest of your life. Find out if you need absolute silence, the pressure of deadlines, or gobs of time to complete a task. Learn how you put out your best work–you can apply it to the rest of your life.
- Have an actual conversation with one of your professors. You, my friends, are adults now. You have the right to speak freely, have a conversation with another adult. Don’t let their acquired knowledge/wisdom be a classroom/lecture only situation. Have a real conversation during office hours. They just might say something you’ll carry with you for the rest of your life.
- Participate in at least on campus tradition. Go to homecoming, sing your school song at the top of your lungs on game days,
run naked through the quads–whatever your school traditions are, try at least one…to say you did. - Embrace the luxury of being “impractical.” Odds are, your major has some elective wiggle room. This is the time to throw in ballroom dancing, photography, basket weaving with a field hockey emphasis–whatever, just explore the fun of it.
Have any more to add? Maybe some you did…or some you didn’t do, and have always regretted?
~Mavis
Melissa Doroquez says
My son has decided to be the best student he can be (finally!) but even I had to get him to play Hooky just one day. Hey, it was to hang out with his city enjoying Wrigley Field’s 100th Anniversary Celebration at the ballpark. You don’t get that do-over! He has fully embraced life in Chicago, even has a membership to the Art Institute. Definitely enjoying that city.
*Try a new type of cuisine with a group of friends so that you can order a few dishes to share and try together for the first time.
*Learn about other friend’s religions and maybe even spent a day or hour with them at their place of worship.
*Go home with a few roommates and see how their families live and invite a close friend or two home to meet your family.
*Learn to cook a few things that remind you of home.
*Learn how to assemble that darn Ikea furniture when you get your first place. My son would add – Bring your Mom, she’ll be a good resource in deciphering what those square, smiley men are doing in the Ikea ‘directions’.
debbie says
This is my favorite list so far. Great job. Loved every one.
Melissa says
I completely agree with you about road trips – the more impromptu, the more of a silly fun memory you can make of it. What other time in your life is it so easy to drop everything and hit the road? I remember doing just that at 19, with a couple of roommates – we were all cramming for a test and around midnight decided to drive a couple hundred miles to a grand opening of a new donut shop – we got there before they opened at 5am, waited in a massive line, and somehow made it back just in time for our 10am test! Admittedly not the best I’ve ever done on a test, and you could say they were pretty expensive donuts, but it was a grand adventure, and still a very valuable memory!
Also, very true about dumpster diving – college is one of the few times you’re way more likely to come across some very good, like new stuff because kids move so often, from dorm room to apartment or whatever, and mostly packing all their stuff in a little old car, so they don’t both with A LOT of good stuff, furniture included!
Lisa says
I just emailed this list to my daughter!
Jen says
I did # 5 and 11 at the same time by joining a volunteering club. Twelve years later and most of my closest friends came from that club as well as my career. What a thing, eh?
Nancy Blake says
Without realizing it, I accomplished almost half of the things on this list. Can I consider my college life a success? If it weren’t for the pandemic, I would have been more satisfied with my college experience. In the current circumstances, it’s hard to do anything other than study from home.