Being a lonely college student at a large university isn't always easy. For anyone that has been in school for 10+ years it is obvious that being a student requires a lot more than simply taking care of education and attending formal activities. It's a lifestyle and whether you like it or not, you need to somehow integrate with it and still come out in one piece before you get a job. How do you do it?

Education

Find a favourite topic or work area that you are good at and pursue its equivalence at the university. Seek courses that match your interests, not your future salary. Don't burn yourself out by the desk but giving up on studies isn't a solution either. Be self-critical and ignore what you don't deem useful. You will notice over time that not all lectures are meaningful and much literature can be glimpsed through or avoided altogether.

Regardless of the supposedly "scientific approach" of universities that you read about in the commercials, academia is filled with political correctness and social peer pressure. Topics that are taboo in politics are also taboo at the university. Avoid branding yourself as an extremist but find ways of neatly inserting your ideas into college education, by explaining them in simple terms and metaphors. You can propose a solution to overpopulation without promoting worldwide genocide. Use your imagination.

Most intelligent students over time begin to identify themselves with Goethe's Faust; students often spend long hours in front of books, studying life instead of living it. A good way of making studying more fun is to integrate your own ideas and beliefs with your every day education. An essay in political science can explain the failure of democracy by studying how lobby groups influence and corrupt politicians. A math paper on primes can be compared to algorithms for encryption keys. Be creative and curious - that's what teachers appreciate in the first place.

Social Life

It's important not to become too alienated as a student, since that will impact both your physical/mental health and test results. The key to a healthy social life is to be picky about whom you meet and what you spend your time on. Find intelligent and interesting people with whom you can exchange meaningful ideas and experiences. You meet them during social events that require an active participation, like tree planting and art creation, or in established philosophical circles and literature groups.

While there will be a lot of pre-organized activities for students, clubs, bars and cinemas will mostly be populated by fools who're seeking attention and social confirmation. It's better to attend classical concerts or find a few favourite spots where you can sit with your friends and talk. For dates, walks in the parks, nightly visits by the beach or a pleasant restaurant is recommended over a crowded bar with drunk people.

Avoid excessive amounts of alcohol, drugs, sex, TV and shopping; they won't make you happier and every Monday will still be the same. Aim for a healthy and responsible lifestyle, which in turn will impress and attract both possible mates and reliable friends. It's important that you view social life as a chance to meet new interesting people and break away from studies. University often transforms into an academic fantasy world and it's good for you to come out and experience new things.

Existential

College life isn't always dandy. Many smart people occasionally break down and plunge into short- or long-term depressions, often because they're surrounded by ignorant fools and are unable to find like-minded individuals. Isolation doesn't necessarily have to be physical; the worst kind of isolation is mental and can slowly force us to resign to the world around us.

To avoid depression it is vital that you remain active and maintain some sort of connection to the real world. You can do this in many ways; working in a garden or a greenhouse, planting trees, organize trash pickups, create a college journal with a group of friends, excel in home cooking or work with art. You can even join a choir, learn to play an instrument or write articles for a site such as this one.

During college years, every single individual thinks he or she is a future politician. Political activism in general will be reduced to liberalism (selfishness in slick package) and different forms of leftism (praise the poor, save humanity from suffering). You want to avoid both. If you are interested in politics, start your own active group and declare it as traditionalist and anti-modern. Organize group discussions and smaller lectures on topics like globalism, terrorism and environmentalism. Create propaganda in the form of fliers, campus radio shows or public speeches.

Will I Survive?

Yes you will. University is like any other period in life: filled with ups and downs. Not everything can nor be should be "fun" but if you study what you're interested in and find ways of inserting your own ideas, while at the same time learning something new on the way, college life can actually become a meaningful experience that you'll remember long after it's over. Create and be active as long as you feel idealistic. Academia is a huge bubble world for many but by penetrating those illusions in your daily life and in effect demonstrating that an alternative path is available, you will inspire others to do the same.