50 things every graphic design student should know...
1. You are not the first.
2. There is always someone better.
3. Success is not a finite resource.
4. You cannot score without a goal.
5. Starting anything takes energy.
6. The path to work is easier than you think.
7. Have a positive self image.
8. Get a clean, simple website up.
9. Curate your work.
10. Listen to your instincts.
11. Make your work easy to see.
12. Hand-write addresses.
13. Never take an unpaid internship.
13. Time is precious - get to the point.
15. Do as many internships as you can stand.
16. Don't waste your internship.
17. Make friends with a printer.
18. Find your local D.I.Y. store and dollar store.
19. Be patient.
20. Ask questions.
21. Ask for opportunities.
22. Seek criticism, not praise.
23. Make friends, not enemies.
24. News travels fast.
25. Don't get drunk at professional events.
26. Network.
27. Dress smart - look business like.
28. Never work for free.
29. Negotiate if you have to.
30. Read contracts.
31. Make your invoice stand out.
32. There's no such thing as a bad job.
33. There's no such thing as a bad client.
34 Embrace limitations.
35. The environment is not a limitation.
36. Boring problems lead to boring solutions.
37. New ideas are always 'stupid'.
38. Do not underestimate self-initiated work.
39. Justify your decisions.
40. Show sketches, not polished ideas.
41. Work with the client, not against them.
42. Don't always take no for an answer.
43. Pick your battles.
44. If you're going to fail, fail well.
45. Be an auteur.
46. Take responsibility for failure.
47. Share your ideas.
48. Get out of the studio.
49. Awards are nice, but not vital.
50. Don't take yourself too seriously.
Check out the full list by Jamie Wieck, he goes more in depth on each of the points with some neat illustrations to go along.
