I've recently taken up backyard blacksmithing. I was able to start for around $100 and it has been a great learning experience. Also, I get to play with fire and hit metal with a hammer; it's a great stress reliever (:
Never let your schooling get in the way of your education (attributed to Mark Twain). I'm about to graduate, and it's true, there are far too many dumb, pointless requirements you have to meet to graduate. Do them, (the sooner the better), but don't quit learning about what you enjoy. That's where the real learning happens, outside the classroom.
Be smart about the friends you choose.
Start a business (you'll never have this much free time again -- do something with it!)
Question your beliefs, and it's okay if you decide you still believe what you did when you were younger. The difference is now you have made that choice.
Eat fruits and vegetables at every meal. Even when they suck.
Good socks are worth the money.
Don't expect people to pay you back if you cover them for something (it's nice if they do, but count it as a donation -- at least among most of my friends!)
Get to know your advisor. Get to know your RA.
Go to outside meetings for things your interested in (seeing as you're posting on HN, I'm assuming it might be tech related -- check out meetup.com and find ones within an hour or two of your college. It's worth the drive.)
Call your parents more often than you think you should.
It's okay to ask for help (for academics, socially, emotionally, spiritually, whatever. Don't be afraid to ask.) Enjoy it as much as you can; you get to decide what your experience will be like.
I'm not a founder or co-founder, but I started to see a therapist or counselor about 2 years ago. My level of stress was mounting and I was falling into depression. I had just gone through some pretty big transitions, but I realized it was too much for me to handle on my own. After going to counseling regularly, I started to feel like I really regained control over my emotions and decisions. I could organize my time much better, and, although not necessarily "Mr. Peppy!", I got back much of my spunk and personality that had started to slip away.
If anyone is thinking about it, I highly recommend it; if you think you need it, it probably won't hurt. And don't be discouraged if the first counselor doesn't fit; it took a few before I found one that was comfortable to talk to and that could challenge me to actually make progress in myself.
Stripe is often cited as a good one -- lots of libraries you can hook into regardless of your programming language, and no CC information is stored on your servers (helpful to meet compliance laws).
I haven't used it myself, but it's where I will turn when I start building out an application I'm working on to include payments.
Wouldn't the US Treasury backing them kind of take away from the decentralized nature? Obviously it wouldn't be printing more money, but I appreciate how it operates outside of a government.
kiva.org -- small loans (usually around $1,000 total, crowd-sourced in $25 increments) made to people for new business ventures, farm improvements, etc. Definitely worth a look!
Okay, now I'm somewhat political, but have largely just steered clear of this whole shutdown business (as far as engaging in discussions), but this just seems ridiculous. How much can it possibly take to run the Amber Alert system? A dedicated server, maybe? They send out a few emails, a few texts, maybe integrate with those signs on the side of the road--I just can't see it costing that much, and should have already been pre-paid for! I don't understand the government shutting down systems which have already been paid for with tax-payer money. </rant>
