With pictures of caps and gowns scattered across my Facebook newsfeed this summer and the fall college semester beginning for many this past week, a rush of thoughts came to mind. The most important one: I wished someone warned me about life after high school. You know, given me
useful words of encouragement and wisdom. As a seasoned college student and life-liver, I feel that it is my responsibility to offer my wisdom and willingness to answer any questions I can about the "real world."
Here is a short list of things I have learned/experienced since I graduated from high school...
1. A high percentage of your friends from high school will become pregnant, get married or do something extremely stupid over the next four years. Don't worry, it'll all be on your Facebook newsfeed.
2. Learn to say "yes" more often. Don't be afraid to try new things, meet new people, and have new experiences. Explore the world around you. My own rule: try everything three times. There are plenty of things you'll hate the first time, ex. coffee, red wine, dark chocolate. I LOVE all of these things now, despite my hatred for them the first time around.
3. So you're going to college. That costs quite the pretty penny, so remember that you are paying professors to teach you and help you. You are paying for advisors to make your life easier and guide you. You are paying for tutors, resources, and all this extra help that you probably haven't even realized existed on campus yet. Make use of them because you deserve to succeed and you deserve to get worth out of every penny you're paying that college.
4. The freshman 15 is no joke. You'll be studying constantly, eating at random times, and suffering from a lack of sleep/partying too hard, and (if you're old enough) drinking regularly. Calories, calories, calories+lack of sleep+stress=15 extra pounds. Have fun but also be smart if you don't want the extra weight. Party hard but also workout hard if you wish to avoid the unnecessary lbs.
5. College is hard. It will test your character and your dedication to education, yourself, and your interests. The best advice I can give for this, is to persevere. Tough it out! The first two years of college were the absolute hardest of my life because there are so many life decisions to make. There is no way to be sure of any of the choices you make about your major, your relationship, your family, your living situation, etc., but just be sure about one thing: it will all work out in the end.
6. Making "major" decisions. I switched my major about 6 times. There is no penalty to changing your mind about your path in life. The worst that could happen is that you end up taking a few extra classes. In the end, this is no big deal as long as taking those classes helped you decide your interests/major. For me, I started as pre med. When that kicked my butt I realized that I didn't have the interest and passion needed to pursue med school in the long run. I changed to business, marketing, spanish, blah, blah, blah, until I took a class I thoroughly enjoyed within the communications department. I decided to pursue it since I really liked it instead of forcing myself to do it. So my advice is to take the time needed to figure out something that you truly enjoy to major in. It may take a little while to figure it out but be patient.
7. Don't take roommates too seriously. Rooming with friends you already have is typically a bad idea but it could work if you don't take everything personally. He/she may not do her own dishes everyday or take out the trash as often as you like, but just remember that asking and being forward about it is better than passive aggressive remarks or actions. Be yourself. Be mindful of your roommates and recognize whether or not you would be irritated if your roommates didn't clean up after themselves. I mean come on now, you are an adult and you're smart enough to have gotten into college. Dishes and/or cleaning the bathroom should be a piece of cake.
8. Don't regret. Like I said previously, this time is going to be huge for you to grow as a person and into yourself. The decisions you make may lead to some mistakes. Learn to accept these mistakes and not regret a single one. These mistakes will help you learn from them and achieve success in the future.
9. Don't forget to celebrate. You are going to be (hopefully) working harder than you've ever before. Work toward achieving high grades, recommendations, establishing good relationships/connections, overall success. When you pass that test you stayed up for all night to study for to ensure you got a good grade, GO OUT. Splurge on dinner with a date, drinks with friends, that shirt you've been eyeing at the mall, or even something simple like time for yourself. Work hard, party hard. You deserve it.
10. Have fun. Be safe. Reflect. Love.
My favorite quote I would like to leave you with:
"I've come to believe that there exists in the universe something I call "The Physics of the Quest"- a force of nature governed by laws as real as the laws of gravity or momentum. And the rule of Quest Physics maybe goes like this: If you are brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting (which can be anything from your house to your bitter old resentments) and set out on a truth seeking journey (either externally or internally), and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you in that journey as a clue, and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher, and if you are prepared-most of all- to face (and forgive) some very difficult realities about yourself, then truth will not be withheld from you."
You're beginning a great season of life and enjoy every single minute of it. Make mistakes, have fun, and most importantly, learn as much as you can about yourself and your interests.
Good luck. XO
