I regret going to college. This is for a lot of reasons, most of all because I failed to recognize that college is primarily social signaling and networking* rather than merely “taking classes.” There is probably no better way to waste time and destroy financial resources than to go to a private college (Ripon College**) without recognizing this. Over and over again, I was told that “classes come first” — in fact, I now think that classes should come “last” for the typical college student — making sure you “get into” your field and develop a portfolio of accomplishments (not “experience” as it is typically understood) is far more important.
As far as classes go, however, I wish I had audited more classes that were “difficult but interesting.” Just auditing rather than taking for credit 2 or 3 classes would have significantly boosted my GPA, which is an issue now that I’m considering grad school, and also when applying to federal jobs. The potential cost for a typical student if they follow my advice? Possibly being required to retake the classes for credit if they decide to continue in the field; if they paid attention the first time around, it should be an easy “A.”
*I was also completely shocked my freshman year to find out what most college students were actually like. I somehow expected a bit more sophistication and/or INTPness.
**Excellent professors, terrible location, administration, and support. I would NOT recommend it to anyone. And the way they call asking for money makes me feel less like a member of a community and more like I’ve been put on sucker list.
