10 Tips I Gave My Brother As He Left For College #HotspotShield

Disclosure:  I am a Hotspot Shield Ambassador that is compensated and will be sharing my honest opinion.

So my youngest brother just left for college last week and while I am so proud of him, I worry like a big sister does.  I went to college, I know what goes on, but in today’s society it is so different than the experience I had just 12 years ago!  When I was in college I still had dial-up internet and cell phones were slowly popping up.  Text messaging, nope, Facebook, nope, Free Wi-fi, are you crazy?  So I thought of some advice to give my brother to stay safe as he enters the next milestone in his life that will either make or break him, as bad as that sounds its true.

• Don’t sign up for credit cards!  When I was in college there were companies that bombarded me with credit card applications and I signed up for all them!  Luckily I was never a bad spender but it was tempting and now my credit report shows all these “closed” credit cards on it.  One or two cards is fine but that’s all you need to start building your credit.

• Always keep your dorm room locked and make sure your roommates do the same.  I was lucky and my roommate moved out right away so I had my own room, but I heard too many stories from friends who lost jewelry, laptops, and other items because someone wandered into their unlocked room to help themselves.

• Never walk alone at night or if you do have your cell phone handy.  This one is more so for girls but guys could get jumped or mugged just as easily.  I reminded him too not to be pre-occupied on his cell phone if he walks around at night that he doesn’t hear whats going on around him.

• Give everything a shot.  College is a time for new experiences and really it is the last time in your life that its acceptable to be young and un-expierenced.  I told him to take classes he normally wouldn’t consider, check out some clubs and make friends everywhere!

• Have snacks. I never minded dorm food but I cannot tell you how many times I would be craving something to eat at night and there was no close stores open on campus.  It’s easy to forget that your in a dorm and there is no mom’s kitchen cabinets to snack from.

• Don’t do anything you’ll regret through social media.  Be careful what you update your status on Facebook too and be careful what others will take pictures of you doing.  If someone takes a picture of you doing something inappropriate it could literally cost you a job in the future.  Once something is online, its there for good.

• Go to parties but don’t overdue it.  I was not going to tell him to stay home and study everything night, as I didn’t, but to find balance.  Parties in college let you meet new people, let off steam and be young.  I would get my homework done early  and then pop over at a party for a little bit.  Things can be good in moderation.

• Be responsible.  There is no mom or dad nagging you anymore to do your homework or go to class.  You are on your own but your future depends on it so keep that in mind.  Missing a class or assignment here or there isn’t going to kill you but failing out of classes (or worst, college) is going to cost you money and more time in school.  Find a balance.

• Don’t be scared.  You may feel overwhelmed at being out of mom and dad’s house, having huge classes (I had freshmen classes that were in auditoriums), not being Mr. Popular, and lots and lots of peer pressure.  You have to prioritize your life and realize this is the time for new experiences.  I had a lot of friends who transferred to a junior college to move back home and others who went extremes of drinking too much to deal with the pressure.

• Don’t trust the free wi-fi.  Nowadays free wi-fi is everywhere and on college campuses there are hundreds of people using it and some with nothing better to do then hack into others computers or smartphones.  I told him to be extremely careful where he hops on the free wi-fi and to consider a program like HotSpot Shield.

My list could have went on and on and I am sure I am missing some big ones but they will come to me and now I have the luxury of text messaging him a tip.  What are your tips for a college student?