My time in college hasn’t been easy. The transition from child to adult was finalized when I moved out of my parents’ house in 2020. My childhood ending put pressure on me to learn how to be who I am while completely on my own. The last four years at Florida State University have taught me some pretty impressive life skills that I hope every girl will eventually learn herself.
Managing friendships and familial relationships from a distance
College was the first time I lived away from my entire family, and the first time I had been alone longer than a day or two. Of course, I began to miss the people who no longer lived in the same place as me, but navigating how to keep in contact and make time for phone calls with them was a movement in itself.
I’d feel guilty when I got a call and didn’t feel like answering, but annoyed when I’d call someone and they wouldn’t pick up. To me, it’s about giving grace to yourself and your family and giving those same people priority. “Phone tag” is included in this too; it’s just inevitable.
Becoming a morning person (kinda)
Now I won’t lie, I’ve never truly been a morning person. Though my high school classes began at 7:20 a.m. every day, I was never arriving at school feeling completely rested and eager to start my day. I was the girl who would walk in 20 minutes late with an iced coffee in hand way more often than I’d like to admit.
Being in college and having my fair share of the universally-hated 8 a.m. classes forced me to get used to being up early enough to feel ready for my day. There are still days when I go to work without makeup because I woke up a little late, or I’m yawning constantly because I watched another episode of a show instead of going to sleep. I’ve reached a point where an early waking time doesn’t ruin my day anymore. It’s become easy to laugh at (instead of berating) myself when I have a hectic morning.
Getting myself out of a funk
I can easily slip into a routine where I want to just rot in my bed and endlessly scroll on TikTok and ignore my responsibilities, which is fine in moderation. I start to feel down on myself if it becomes a daily habit. Procrastination and I, unfortunately, are friends for life, and I’ve accepted it. Instead of letting my friend tear me down, I just have to do some extra work to build myself up when he’s (yes, of course, it’s a man) in town.
My favorite ways to reset my mind when I’m not feeling focused or lighthearted are going for a walk, journaling, going to the gym, listening to music I haven’t heard in a while, or even changing my outfit as if I’m starting a new day. The last four years in college have gifted me plenty of time to tailor my “cheer up” habits, and I can’t wait to learn more in the coming years.
Balancing Social and School Life
Partying is every student’s most enticing part of college and every parent’s nightmare on drop-off day. The culture highly encourages it, and so do I (safely and if you’re over the age of 21). Until you’ve worked a 6:30 a.m. opening shift with a hangover after a few too many drinks, you may not know how to manage partying with the rest of college life. I learned there’s a time and place for everything, but the time and place don’t arise just because I want them to.
I took many classes to prepare for college and added even more to my transcript once I got to FSU. Now that I’m leaving, I’m realizing that the education that had the most profound impact on me is the one I gave myself. I learned who I am and how to move through my days as an adult. Maybe one day down the road I’ll read this article and no longer resonate with it, but I’ll resonate with the memory of who I am right now because of my four years at FSU and what they taught me.
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