Going to college is a trip that has everything great that you have heard about. It is also a very serious business. To a great extent, you will be on your own. True, there are people ready to help you, but generally you must take the initiative and seek them out. Most of you have decided on a career. Even though many of you will change your minds later, the initial decision allows you to set class goals and pursue them step by step toward that final objective of graduation. Such goals are essential for success. In advising students,I always tell them to discipline themselves, to be prepared to study hard and keep up from day one. Today's world is full of precious knowledge, whether it be in the arts, literature, a profession, or a vocational skill. College is your chance of a lifetime to explore these areas. Each one can be as exciting when discovered by you. Let yourself explore beyond your immediate career objectives. A student in auto mechanics in most schools also can take courses in history, philosophy, music, or art. There is no reason a craftsman also can’t be a great thinker, or an explorer into the vast areas of unlimited knowledge. One should make the most of the opportunities at hand. I hope that you have gathered by now that going to college means a lot more than earning a grade. To limit your college experience will be a waste to you and to all of the people past and present, who have invested their dollars often at great personal sacrifice to make educational opportunities open for you. College is a place to be greedy. Take all you can get and then some more. Also think are you going to take a course to learn or are you going to take it only to have it on your record? Get into the subjects in great depth to gain a true understanding. Don’t be satisfied to just skin over courses with "only to pass" in mind. Thus, as a student, from the first day in class, discipline yourself to make learning fun, and to get the most from the educational opportunities.