1. 22 COLLEGE LESSONS TUITION
FREE

2. GO IN UNDECIDED BECAUSE AT 17 AND 18 YOU
REALLY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU WANT TO DO
WITH YOUR LIFE

This is number one for a reason.
Most people have no idea what they
want to do for the rest of their life at
17 or 18. I went into college thinking I
wanted to be a teacher, after five in
years of working I childcare I quickly
decided that I did not want to do that
forever. So I changed to business but
guess what I suck at math, I finally
figured out that I should be a
Communication major. I came to this
conclusion after I had already paid for
20 hours of courses that don’t even
count. Go in undecided, figure out
what your strengths, and weaknesses
are, research what you want to
do, then declare a major.

3. BECOME FRIENDS WITH COFFEE

Joe has been my best
friend throughout
college. I think for a
while I lived on coffee
and dreams. Seriously
if I could add up all the
coffee I have drank in
the past five years it
would probably fill a
swimming pool.

4. BUILD A GREAT SUPPORT SYSTEM
Have group of
people in your life
who believe in you
when you don’t
believe in yourself.
I am very blessed
to have people like
this in my life. Also
find people who
have been through
college before to
help you out. As a
first gen graduate I
did not have this. I
had to figure out
how to fill out
FASFA, what
scholarships to
apply for, what rate
my professor
was, and where to
find the cheapest
text books.

5. ONLY TAKE OUT WHAT YOU NEED IN STUDENT LOANS
Everyone tells you
this and no one
really listens I am
telling you if you
don’t follow any
other advice on
here follow this
one. Those loans
are expensive!

6. DON’T TAKE 18 HOURS, WORK ,AND INTERN

7. DON’T TAKE 8AM CLASSES

8. BEER AND WHISKEY DON’T MIX

just take my word on
this one, they are not
friends unless its apple
cider beer and fireball
whiskey

9. DON’T DRUNK DIAL/ DRUNK TEXT

it is never a good idea
NEVER

10. DON’T BE ALL WORK AND NO PLAY

take a break, cut
lose, on the other
hand don’t be all play
and no work

11. DON’T TAKE IMPORTANT CLASSES THE
SEMESTER YOU TURN 21

take bowling or
fishing, easy stuff that
you don’t mind being
hung over for ( Math+
hangover=headache^2
) in addition to this
don’t drink so much
in your 21st year that
year check liver light
comes on.

12. BE RESPONSIBLE. DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE A
CAB IS ALWAYS CHEAPER THAN A DUI. I
MEAN DO YOU REALLY WANT TO END UP ON THIS
MAGAZINE.

13. SOMETIMES GREAT FAILURE CAN EQUAL
GREAT SUCCESS SO DON’T GIVE UP

Need proof on this
Martin Luther King Jr.
one of the greatest
public speakers of all
time got a D in his first
public speaking
class, but he refused to
let that stand in his
way.

14. NEVER LOSE FAITH

God is always with you
and sometimes he will
turn your life upside
down to show you what
stands up right

15. TRUST GOD

Trust God with all your
heart, he will show
where you are
supposed to go and
trust me he will be loud
and clear about it.

16. DON’T WORRY ABOUT NOTHING PRAY ABOUT
EVERYTHING

Pray for peace, pray for
guidance, pray for
love, pray that you will pass
that test. My favorite college
memory happened right
before I took my last final.
My classmates and I
stepped into the hall way
held hands and one the
guys led one the most
heartwarming prayers I
have ever heard. It was a
powerful moment and we all
felt peace afterwards.
Guess what everyone in
that class passed!

17. DON’T BUILD YOUR FOUNDATION ON
UNSTURDY THINGS

this is a lesson I have learned from
observation and something I want to
stress to young girls and boys. So
many times I have seen a young girl
build her foundation on a guy, give
him everything, give up her plans to
be with him and 90% of the time it
falls apart. This doesn’t just go for
relationships being from a small town
that Tim McGraw song Drugs or
Jesus pretty much rings true. I have
seen so many of my
peers, family, and friends get
consumed by drugs. Their lives
become all about how to get their
next fix no matter the cost, or who
they hurt in the process. Don’t build
your foundation like this because it
will only fall apart.

18. MAKE NEW FRIENDS

19. KEEP POSITIVE FRIENDSHIPS

I am very lucky to have
positive friendships in my life.
I have group of friends who
genuinely support each other.
For example my best friend
called me a couple of weeks
ago and told me she got a
new job and I could not have
been happier for her. I love
hearing about my friends
getting engaged and how
excited they are to be
planning a wedding. The girls
do the same for me I have
received cards, and very
sweet messages about
graduation. There isn’t any
jealously in these friendships
just pure joy.

20. GET RID OF NEGATIVE FRIENDSHIPS AND
RELATIONSHIPS

don’t surround yourself
with people who bring
you down. Those
people whose actions
make you question
your self-worth do not
belong in your life. I
know it’s hard but
please just walk away
from them.

21. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GET MARRIED
BEFORE YOUR 25

This is one of my biggest pet peeves
being from the south and very
traditional southern family I have
family members who think that I am
doomed to die alone because I am no
where near getting married and I am
24. I can’t stand this I choose to go to
college and build a carrier marriage is
not a part of the plan yet. For those of
you who have found someone and
are married young good for you I
mean no disrespect. I am saying that
there is no need to panic if you are
not, you are not going to be an old
mom if you have kids in your 30’s and
guess what the right person will come
along when you are ready. So tell
grandma to stop nagging.

22. DON’T LET FAILURE CONSUME YOU

I did this. I carried the
heavy weight of
disappointment, and
failure for so long that I
crumbled. I feel into a
deep dark hole and it
took years for me to
finally claw my way
back.

23. NEVER LOSE YOUR COURAGE TO DREAM
BIG

I did not think college was an
option for me financially, until I
got that acceptance letter in the
mail and my mother and I
danced in the kitchen. I did think
I would ever graduate. Two years
ago I was ready to drop out and
just give up. I am so glad I
didn’t. It has taken me five
years, and a ton of coffee, many
late nights, many early
mornings, blood, sweat, and
tears a lot of tears, but it will all
be worth it. Tomorrow
Thursday December 12th at 2:
00 pm I, Makayla Lynn Richards
will be the first person in my
family to walk across the stage
and finally receive a Bachelors
Degree in Communication.