-College can be fun, and it should be, but always remember that you are there to learn. An occasional party can be fun, just don't spend too much time and energy on that when you should be studying. Also, find some more wholesome ways of enjoying yourself (biking, rock climbing, hiking, etc). You will need a way to relieve some of the stress, just don't burn yourself out by doing so the wrong ways.
-I think I remember that you said once that you are Jewish. We can be a bit of a minority in most areas, and many college campuses aren't very Jewish friendly anymore (taking anti-Israel to the extreme of becoming outright anti-Jewish), if your school has a Hillel or Chabad House make use of it. If it doesn't, seek out a few fellow Jewish students (I'm not saying to avoid those who aren't, just seek a few who are). Sometimes that retreat will be very nice to have (you don't have to be religious, sometimes it is nice to be around people with similar backgrounds/experiences/needs/etc when in a setting that can sometimes be, or at least seem, pretty antagonistic).
-Similar to the above, college campuses aren't always very pro-gun and can sometimes seem pretty unfriendly to those of us who are pro-2nd Amendement. If there is a gun club join it, if not then seek out some other pro-gun students for shooting and comisserating.
-Take a part-time job while in school. Many people (myself included) tend to do better at time management (and thus better at school) the less free time they have. It will give you some much appreciated spending money (if you can afford to keep a car on the road and buy a few beers you will be nearly rich in comparison to many of your peers). It will keep you grounded in the real world and be a good (but productive) break from achedemics. Most importantly it will give you valuable work experience which could give you a leg up on other applicants for a post-degree job or graduate school application- to make the most of this try to make it related to your post school plans (if med school, nursing, etc get a job or volunteer in a hospital, if psychology or social work any kind of human services like a hospital or school will look good, if business try to get into a bank teller position).
-If you have trouble finding a part-time job, if you still have extra time, or if you have no idea what you want to do then volunteer. It is a way to try out different fields and get an idea if you like it, and if you do you will get some experience that should help you find a job later.
-Take an internship or two. The experience you get (even if you've already been in part-time jobs) can be invaluable, the entry on your resume can be even more valuable, and often the company/organization where you interned will be your first job after graduation.
-
Major in something you can eat after graduation. Psychology may be interesting but the economic value below the PHD level is limited.
I partially agree. I was a psychology major and I have had some decent enough jobs, but when I decided I wanted to get into the field (to get experience which is needed to get into graduate school) the best I could do (after I had a degree) was substitute teaching and later making around $12/hr at a psych hospital doing a job that didn't require a degree. However, my psych degree and sub experience are what got me my new job as a special education teacher (though I guess a special ed degree would have made it even easier). It can also help in management positions depending upon what psych coursework you took (though it would be easier to sell a hiring manager on your business degree since they tend not to like to have to work to see where your experiences and education are pertinent). Also, there are masters level jobs that pay well in psych- I/O Psychology and School Psychology can both pay quite well at the MA level. Still, I agree that if you are interested in human services but don't want grad school (at least not right away) you should go with something like social work, education, or nursing over psychology.
Where I agree wholeheartedly (instead of partially as above) is if you are interested in something where it is hard to impossible to put your degree to use (art, music, philosophy, sociology, history, etc) or something where you must do graduate school to really make a living (the non-business economics degrees, psychology, pre-med, law school, etc) be sure to double major in something "useful". You may never make it to grad school, or you may find yourself taking some time off. Psychology and business make for great prep for a business position involving dealing with people (management, sales, PR, HR, advertising, etc). Business and music or art can be used for some very specific niche markets, or it can be good for advertising (or just use the business professionally). Psychology and nursing or education work very well together. You get the idea. Even if you do go to grad school right away it will help you stand out to grad school committies looking at your application if you don't look like all other applicants.
If making the most money possible is your concern then major in something like accounting, finance, some types of engineering, computers can still be good if you pick your specialty carefully, etc.
If never being unemployed is your concern then special education or nursing would be good choices as well as some specialties in computers and engineering.
Most importantly, pick something you like. You will be putting a lot of work into your degree. You WILL do better if you are studying something you enjoy.
