The Mel Robbins Podcast

8 Truths About College That Nobody Tells You

Order your copy of The Let Them Theory 👉 https://melrob.co/let-them-theory 👈 The #1 Best Selling Book of 2025 🔥 Discover how much power you truly have. It all begins with two simple words. Let Them. — These 8 pieces of advice will change your college experience. In this episode, Mel is sharing the most impactful and insightful advice for all college students. Think of it as a freshman year survival guide. And if you’re a parent of a college student, this episode is one that you’re going to want to share and listen to with your kid. Mel is sharing advice on: How to handle drinking and hookup culture Why you need to stop clinging to your high school friends How to take responsibility for your own experience and manage the ups and downs of this new season of life How to navigate change and uncertainty Understanding what is happening to your body and brain during the first month of college What you really learn from college and why it’s not all about studying This episode is the cheat sheet for how to navigate college (and any major life change), so grab your pen and paper because class is in session. For more resources related to today’s episode, click here for the podcast episode page: www.melrobbins.com/podcasts/episode-207 Follow The Mel Robbins Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themelrobbinspodcast I’m just your friend. I am not a licensed therapist, and this podcast is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional. Got it? Good. I’ll see you in the next episode. In this episode: 0:00 Introduction 02:46 For all college students, this is the advice you need to hear. 04:35 This is what you need to know about college move-in. 06:15 What you really learn from college and why it’s not all about studying. 09:48 If you are bored in college, there isn’t anything wrong with you. 12:20 How to take responsibility for your own college experience. 16:10 What is happening to your body and brain during the first month of college. 20:05 The BIGGEST mistake you are likely making in college. 23:11 How to properly handle drinking and hookup culture in college. 28:15 We all do this, and it makes you feel like a loser. 32:36 Do this one thing every day to strengthen your friendships. 34:35 Put down the phone, and do this instead. 36:10 How to let go of loneliness and embrace doing things solo. 37:50 Wake up, this isn’t high school anymore. 42:11 For all the parents who just had a kid leave for college, listen to this. — Follow Mel: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melrobbins/ TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@UCk2U-Oqn7RXf-ydPqfSxG5g Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melrobbins LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melrobbins Website: http://melrobbins.com — Sign up for Mel’s newsletter: https://melrob.co/sign-up-newsletter A note from Mel to you, twice a week, sharing simple, practical ways to build the life you want. — Subscribe to Mel’s channel here: https://www.youtube.com/melrobbins?sub_confirmation=1 — Listen to The Mel Robbins Podcast 🎧 New episodes drop every Monday & Thursday! https://melrob.co/spotify https://melrob.co/applepodcasts https://melrob.co/amazonmusic — Looking for Mel’s books on Amazon? Find them here: The Let Them Theory: https://amzn.to/3IQ21Oe The Let Them Theory Audiobook: https://amzn.to/413SObp The High 5 Habit: https://amzn.to/3fMvfPQ The 5 Second Rule: https://amzn.to/4l54fah

Mel Robbinshost

Aug 28, 202444mWatch on YouTube ↗

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Eight Unspoken College Truths: Navigating Change, Freedom, and Friendship Wisely

Mel Robbins reflects on dropping her son off at college and shares eight hard truths she wishes she and her daughters had known as freshmen. She reframes college as ‘life school,’ emphasizing that the biggest lessons aren’t academic but about change, self-trust, and taking ownership of your experience. The episode covers emotional turbulence, boredom, loneliness, drinking, hookup culture, and friendship dynamics, offering specific behavioral advice for each. Her core message: you’re not in the wrong place—you’re in a massive transition, and if you move your body, get out of your dorm, and advocate for yourself, college can become a chapter you truly love.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Boredom is normal—and a sign you’re doing college right.

Large chunks of unstructured time are inherent to college, especially early on. Instead of sitting in your dorm scrolling, use boredom as a cue to leave your room, walk campus, explore facilities, attend events, and discover hidden resources and interests.

Your body is in shock; build a morning routine to stabilize yourself.

New smells, beds, food, people, and schedules dysregulate your nervous system, making everything feel ‘off’ and triggering doubts about your school choice. Counter this by refusing to start the day on your phone and instead moving your body first—walking, exercising, or getting breakfast out—to help your system adapt faster.

The change is fast, so you must go slow with partying and hookups.

A flood of freedom, hormones, and alcohol makes it easy to overdrink and hook up indiscriminately in the first weeks, often leading to regret, safety issues, and awkward ongoing dynamics. Pace yourself with substances and intimacy; you have years to experiment and will like your choices more if you wait until you and others are more grounded.

Finding your people is slow; be flexible and inclusive with friendships.

Early friend groups form around proximity and similar backgrounds and often don’t last. Drop the panic about not having a “group,” avoid clinging or exclusion, invite others along (especially quieter peers), and allow friendships to shift over semesters and years.

Your best college experience is at your college, not on your phone.

Watching high school friends’ highlight reels at other schools will convince you your own school is lacking and keep you stuck in your dorm. Limit social comparison, unplug, and actively create your own memories by showing up to your campus’s events, traditions, and communities.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

Don’t let studying get in the way of your education.

— Mel Robbins’ father

College isn’t the greatest school. Life is the greatest school.

— Mel Robbins

If you’re bored, there’s nothing wrong. In fact, it means you’re doing college right.

— Mel Robbins

You’re not in the wrong place. Things feel weird because you’re just not used to what it feels like to be there yet.

— Mel Robbins

Nobody is going to create your college experience for you. You have to rescue yourself from yourself.

— Mel Robbins

Reframing college as life education beyond academicsNormalizing boredom, homesickness, and physical discomfort in the transitionCreating routines and managing your nervous system in a new environmentNavigating drinking, hookup culture, and early bad decisionsFriendship formation, social comparison, and being flexible with friend groupsDetaching from high school, social media, and learning to do things aloneSelf-advocacy, changing what doesn’t work, and evolving across all four years

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