6 things I wish I'd known in college

For this week's Friday Roundtable, we invited two recent graduates and a professor to talk about the six things they wish they would've known when they were students.

Here are some highlights from the conversation:

1. Be yourself. Luis Guitart said he went into college trying to establish the identity he had in high school. He said he wished he would've stopped trying to fit into the groups he thought he belonged to in high school and took the opportunity to be authentic earlier in his college career.

2. Don't go into college because you think you have to. Jose Santos said it's important to be able to clearly state why you're going and what you hope to accomplish. It helps you focus and ensures you don't end up graduating with a degree and no long-term goals to utilize it.

3. Don't compare yourself to others. Amanda Werner said she spent too much energy sizing up to her peers: Internships, final projects, job prospects. She said now she sees how much opportunities often come down to luck and don't measure your worth. Do the best you can and go for opportunities that will help you instead of something that will make you look good to others.

4. Relax. Guitart said he wishes he didn't overthink and stress about everything in school. Students often get caught up in failures that ultimately won't really matter in the long run. That one bad final won't kill your future. Santos reminds students this every semester. "You are not your grade," he said. "Your grade is not an evaluation of your moral worth as a human being."

5. Study abroad. All the guests agreed that it's worth it. Don't get too wrapped up in making your experience abroad perfectly fit your career plan. See it as a challenging experience as you reach outside your comfort zone.

6. Going to college and having a college degree is a privilege. Santos said he wishes he would've stepped back as a student and acknowledged the privilege he was handed by going to school.

7. Don't underestimate the basic skills you acquire in college. Look at college as a place to build your toolkit to help guide the rest of your life, Santos said. You can leave college with the basics--ability to memorize, repeat, deliver job requirements--but college is ultimately about learning how to create, analyze and evaluate. Those skills will take you anywhere, he said.

8. Think about the cost of college and the debt you are going to take on. Werner graduated with $50,000 in debt and said she wishes she would've really considered what that meant for her life once she left school. Try to estimate the total debt you'll accrue, the average salary after graduation and how much living expenses will cost for the lifestyle you plan to have.

Off-Air: To hear what the Roundtablers couldn't say on radio, listen to the podcast.