Sophomore year has been a whirlwind, and I have learned a lot about myself in the past nine months. Some of it is cliche, and I should’ve known better, but you can’t learn until you live. These are some of the lessons that I learned this year:
1. I can’t expect my future time at John Carroll to be the same as my freshman year.
For some reason, I thought that my sophomore year would be very similar to my freshman year. I think I expected my second round to be as exciting and new as the first one. I spent a lot of time comparing my experiences instead of just enjoying myself and the new experiences that the year would bring. I even expected people and my feelings towards them to be the same. Friendships that I thought would last forever ended, and new ones began. Even the differences in my classes threw me off. Freshman year seemed to go by so fast, not only because of all the new people I was meeting and the fun things I was doing, but because my classes seemed so easy. I thought “If this is college, I have nothing to worry about.” Fun fact: classes get harder as you go on, and there are many things I have to worry about. But now that I’ve learned this, I’m mentally and emotionally prepared for Junior year.
2. You can’t please everyone.
I spent a lot of my time trying to please everyone. I am, however, human, so making everyone happy is virtually impossible. Between balancing classes, friends, and extra-curricular activity responsibilities, some things are bound to be left by the wayside. It’s okay to let things slip. I did my best to balance everything, but I made some mistakes. I’ve come to terms with the fact that I can only do so much, and I will make more mistakes. What’s important is making sure that people who these mistakes affect know that it’s not because of them, but rather the hectic vortex in my mind.
3. The f***-boy will not change for you.
Try as you might, that boy isn’t gonna give up his careless lifestyle to “settle-down” for you. He’s a free spirit, no matter how much he claims to care about you, or that he wants something serious. It’s a bunch of bullshit, I know, but it’s better to move on than to wait around for a guy who isn’t prepared to change. Eventually, he will be ready for something serious, but it isn’t now, and you’re obviously much more mature than he is, so he is not the one for you.
4. Just do your homework….
Seriously, just do it. If I read everything that I was supposed to, my grades would be much better than they are. I mean, I’m not failing, but the stress I experienced while studying for tests and quizzes would have been greatly reduced. Plus, isn’t it all the more rewarding when you finish all your work and then go do fun things without having to worry about it? Also, you don’t want to be that person who is cramming for their finals and has to write 4 papers in 2 days, so just get a head start by staying on track.
5. But don’t let it take up all your time.
Okay, yes do your homework, but seriously who has time to read 300 pages a night? Skim through, read the really important parts, but don’t put too much time into it because you have other priorities. College is supposed to be the most exciting, care-free times of your life so live it up. Hangout with your friends, take a nap on the quad, stay up until 3 in the morning laughing and telling stories. These will be the memories that you take with you, these are the relationships that will last a lifetime, so cherish them while you’re living them.
With these lessons, I’m excited to move into my Junior year. I’d like to think that I’m older and wiser, but let’s be honest, I’ll be making the same mistakes for years to come. Hopefully my own insights can help you as you process through college, because if I’m not going to listen to my own advice, then someone has to.