What I learned from college besides earning a 1.2 GPA

As I’m getting ready to drop off my second child at college, I started to reflect on my college career, and man, did I have a lot of fun. You really have to work hard to earn a 1.2 GPA, which I did my freshman year. Okay, not really “work hard” at all… but let’s just say, I had a lot of fun.

On a serious (and sometimes funny) note, here are the life lessons I passed on to my kids:

1. College isn’t for everyone.

I was a Broadcasting major. Why? Because I sucked at math. When it came time to declare a major at the end of my sophomore year, I scanned the list for “least amount of math” and, BAM, Broadcasting it was.

Did I ever use that Broadcasting degree? Nope. (ESPN, I’m still waiting for your call.) But having a degree did help me land specific jobs. My advice to my kids has always been: unless your dream job explicitly requires a college degree, you don’t have to go. I know, shocking advice from a family where everyone else has a degree, my grandfather, my parents, all my siblings, and Doug, my husband. But I care more about what’s financially and emotionally right for my kids than what looks good on paper.

That said, my first two chose college: one aiming to be a dentist, the other a chemical engineer. Clearly, they inherited their father’s math genes.

2. Go to class.

It sounds ridiculously simple, but it’s the difference between graduating on time and graduating a year late like I did. Why did I end up with that infamous 1.2 GPA my second semester? Let’s just say my social life involved more bars than books.

Clawing my way back meant summer classes, overloaded semesters, and watching all my friends graduate a year before me. Brutal. So yes, have fun. But don’t be stupid. Go to class. Turn in your work. Remember: Cs get degrees, but D’s and F’s don’t.

3. Join a club.

You don’t have to rush a sorority or fraternity (though I did, and it was one of the best choices I made). The point is: join something. It forces you out of your bubble, introduces you to people, and gives you a sense of belonging. Twenty years later, I’m still friends with my sorority sisters.

I know today’s generation is more comfortable behind a screen, but trust me, the hardest part is saying hello. After that, you’ll be glad you did. And I promise there is a club for everyone. 

4. Do NOT follow your boyfriend or girlfriend to college.

College is about discovering yourself. If you pick a school just because your significant other is going there, you’re not learning independence; you’re learning how to follow.

I learned this the hard way. After my second semester (and that 1.2 GPA disaster), my boyfriend transferred back home. I thought, “Perfect, I can run from my problems and follow him!” So I moved home, transferred schools, and lived with my mom.

Big mistake. It felt like high school all over again. Eventually, I realized I hated it, told my mom I wanted to return to my college, and she said, “Fine, but this time it’s on you.” So I figured it out, moved back, and rejoined my friends… who had grown even closer while I was gone.

My biggest regret? Missing a year and a half of experiences with the people I loved, all because I followed a boy. Don’t do it.

5. Listen to the expert. (Especially when it comes to tattoos.)

When I was initiated into my sorority, I celebrated by running straight to Bodine’s Tattoo Parlor for a kite tattoo on my hip. Bodine himself warned me: “If you ever have kids, that tattoo will stretch.”

Eighteen-year-old me looked him dead in the eye and said, “No, it won’t, my belly will  go over it.” He rolled his eyes, took my money, and did it anyway.

Fast forward three pregnancies: my kite now looks like it was electrocuted and then shoved through a shredder. 

Lesson? Listen to the expert, tattoo artist, doctor, lawyer, professor, parents, whoever. They know more than you, and yes, you might not believe it, but parents do know a thing or two.

6. College is your practice round for adulting.

This is your chance to learn what it means to “adult” before you actually have to. Setting your own alarms and not mom’s screaming voice telling you to wake up, budgeting your money, and balancing multiple priorities are all part of it. Take advantage of the safety net college gives you, because life after graduation doesn’t come with one.

So that’s what I told my kids. Have fun. Be smart. Don’t follow a boyfriend or girlfriend. And most importantly, go to class. Maybe skip the tattoo. 

As I mentally prepare myself to hug my second child goodbye (fighting back tears and probably embarrassing him in the process), I realized something: the lessons I learned in college weren’t really about grades or majors. They were about resilience, relationships, and learning how to get back up after you’ve tripped over your own bad choices.

And if my kids can walk away with that, along with a diploma that hopefully doesn’t take five years to earn because of a 1.2 GPA, I’ll call it a win.