By Andrew Thompson-Landerghini, University Marketing & Communications

Back in August of this year, as the Class of 2021 embarked on this new journey called college, we took to LinkedIn asking alumni who are out there in the "real world" what kind of advice they had for the new freshmen. The words of wisdom poured through the fingertips of the seasoned professionals, with many of the same themes echoed — "network," "keep an open mind" and "take class seriously." Of course, those nuggets of sagacity could apply to any college student, but one piece of advice that also kept popping up was unique to Utah college students: take advantage of the U's location and explore the beauty this state has to offer.

Hopefully our students did just that over the fall break. And now that they're back, hopefully they read this article, because it's never too late to heed good counsel. Below are a handful of our favorite tips to succeed.