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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UPRM chapter.

Being in university is challenging, every day is a new opportunity to be. That’s why it is your responsibility to decide how you will pass those years of academic and personal development. When you get into college, you enter a new era of life where you discover, define, and grow yourself. 

In addition to developing yourself, you will learn about what will be (or maybe not) the profession that you will end up practicing for the majority of your life. As someone who has been learning every day about college and being an adult, here are some tips that I wish I had known sooner. 

  1. DO NOT BE AFRAID OF THE UNKNOWN.

Join that association, go to that fundraiser, accept that study date. Get yourself involved and enjoy the process. 

  1. TALK TO PEOPLE.

This includes your peers, professors, and literally everyone. Do not be afraid of being a social butterfly, you do not know where it would take you.

  1. MAKE CONNECTIONS.

The second tip and this one correlates, by talking to people you do not know if that will help you in the future, be one step ahead. 

  1. GAIN EXPERIENCE.

The best way to know if the profession that you choose to pursue was for you, is by gaining experience in it. Search and apply for some internships, coop’s or go directly to a company that may interest you the most.

  1. ASK!

Do not be afraid to ask, get that doubt out of your head by asking, you’re not only helping yourself but maybe other people too. 

  1. TAKE YOUR TIME.

You may have heard this one a lot but it’s the truth. This is your path, the only competition that you have to overcome is the one with your past self. If you have to take a gap semester or year, do it! 

The years that you would be in college will be in your memory forever, do not be afraid of enjoying the ride. And if you fail, remember that the sun will rise again, even if it seems that it will not. Trust me, you will be fine. Do not forget to do what you love, you will spend most of your time doing it. 

Julianis Gracia Ruiz is a writer at Her Campus at the University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez Campus. She writes monthly articles mostly related to experiences or feelings that may be happening in college and in Her20’s, where she promotes the importance of mental health and shares some tips for improving ourselves. Beyond Her Campus, Julianis is a member at the Industrial Microbiology Student Society (SEMI) where she learns every week about topics of science in the industry and attends different educational talks. She is currently a junior at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, majoring in Industrial Microbiology. In her free time, Julianis enjoys listening to music and discovering new motivational podcasts. She also enjoys baking and trying new recipes most of the Sundays. Julianis shares a special bond with the beach, that's the place where she feels more at peace. She likes to go on road-trips and discover new local places such as coffee shops, restaurants and stores and take pictures for the memories.