Study for the knowledge, not for the exams: I had a bunch of classmates who just mugged up all the answers without understanding them. They were experts at memorising things and producing them on the answer sheet and hence scored well at the exams. However in terms of practical knowledge and application they were terrible. Even though they were performers at the exams, the didn’t do that well in their careers. Most colleges and institutions prioritise memorisation over understanding which can prove disastrous. Hence always make it a point to understand things rather than focusing on just memorising them. Spend more time and effort on actual “Learning” than just mugging things up, you might end up scoring less in exams but it will all be worth it in your professional life.

Working out: Join a gym, workout regularly. If you cant afford to buy a membership then simply walk/run every day. Exercising regularly improves your cognitive function and will help you study better. Plus it’s better to form a habit of working out at an early age, it will prove beneficial in the long run.

Read a ton: Read any books you can get your hands on, if your college has a library just pick any book that you might find interesting even if that is not related to your branch. If you are in IT and yet microbiology interests you then go ahead and read that, you might be able to build an interesting web app that involves both domains. Reading never goes to waste, whatever good content you consume always proves to be beneficial in one way or another. Read about business, economics, science or whatever topic that might interest you.

Say no to porn, alcohol & drugs: They are just a means to escape your reality. Sometimes when life becomes hard its easy to turn towards things which take you away from your reality and make you feel better for a while. However it is extremely unhealthy to use these things to escape. There are better things and activities that can do the same for you but require some additional effort, like exercising, socialising, reading or any other hobby of your choice which can make you feel good. The reason why people turn towards alcohol and porn and not towards reading or running is because the former are not because they are perverts, but because these things are easy to do and require no or less effort. You can get the same amount of high by doing an intense workout or indulging in a productive hobby.      

Pick good friends: The kind of friends you have makes a huge deal of a difference as they have a lot of influence on your thoughts and actions. If you hangout with a bunch of drunkards there is a chance that you will soon turn into a drukard, if you hang out with fitness freaks you will be influenced to some healthy habits. Make friends who have similar goals as you do.

You still have plenty of time for relationships: Its never a good choice to be in a relationship when you are working on your career, especially if you are a sensitive person. Relationships are a huge deal, if everything goes well then its all fine but if they do not go well while you are in the midst of building your career then it will have a drastic impact on your performance. Always prioritise your career over relationships.

Start making money: Find some creative ideas to make some money. Maybe start a small service based business while still in college. You don’t have to aim to build the next million dollar startup, even if you are able to make a couple thousand rupees every month it would be good. It will not only fetch you a couple of bucks but will also make you a bit financially aware. Also if your business goes well, maybe you could be earning a good amount of cash from it as well

-Saurav Sharma