I hear it all the time: “nothing I learned in university prepared me for the harsh realities of the real world.” And while it makes me cringe, I can understand where the sentiment comes from; learning in academic institutions differs greatly from the learning most of us undertake in our daily lives.

I’m not saying that institutional learning as it is right now should be abolished, like some people are saying, because I know there is value in the academic institution for many people. What I am saying is that the over-importance that society places on the university is a bit bothersome. Want to be a graphic designer? Go to a design school. Want to be a writer? Go and write. University isn’t required.

All that aside, university can be a place where you gain valuable life skills, but it does require the help of mentors and peers who are willing to share their knowledge with you. In a recent post on Lifehacker, a professor asked:

Some of my students will finish the university this year and leave the dormitory. We’ve spent 5-6 really fine years together and I’d love to give them some tips before they enter life. What is the thing you wish you’d been told when you just left school?

There are some great tips and pieces of advice in the comments of that post, so I won’t regurgitate them here, but I will admit that I was lucky going through my school career. Instead of listing what I wish people had told me before I graduated, here’s a quick list of what I did actually learn while in school that keeps helping me today.

• “Learning doesn’t happen in the classroom, it happens when you connect with people.” (Nico Bethel, High School Anthropology Professor)
• “Literature isn’t just the study of stories, it’s an examination of who people are and who they could be. In essence, literature is the study of life.” (Alvaro Ribeiro, University English Lit Professor)
• “Forget what’s directly in front of you: search for the motivation behind every decision.” (Sarah Salih, University English Lit Professor)
• “If you really want to learn something, do it, experience it, live it. And never stop learning; never stop living.” (Matt Rise, High School Biology Professor)
• “Letting other people down is not good, but can be fixed. Just make sure you don’t let yourself down.” (Ami Mehta, Friend)
• “Don’t think what you learned in school only applies to your future career. Instead, everything you learned in school will help shape your every experience of your life.” (Joshua Barker, University Anthropology Professor)

Those are a few I picked up, and there are more. I feel blessed to have had great teachers, mentors, and friends. And before I stop, here’s a great quote that I just heard in a poem by Shane Koyczan that I felt sums it all up pretty nicely.

I’ve got three separate degrees from different universities, but the most valuable thing I ever learned was to believe people when they say please.

How so very true.