Age does not equate to wisdom and I can prove it to you

Everyone has heard the saying “the older people are the wiser”. But, I personally believe this not to be true. This semester I have had the opportunity to meet with many upperclassmen and gain a piece of advice from each of them. I have chosen my top five pieces of advice to share because I truly feel that they need to be shared with everyone. These pieces of advice have impacted my experience thus far in my semester in a positive way. Because of this, age does not equate to wisdom and here are my four pieces of advice to prove it. 

1. Setting priorities

   1. Having a solid list of priorities will eliminate unnecessary stress and the feeling of “fomo”. By personally knowing what matters most to you, scheduling your week will become a lot easier since you will be focusing on the aspects that matter most to you and making time for them is effortless. 

2. School is first 

   1. Now this one may come off as cliche, but this is so important. Yes, experiences and involvement matter, but so does the education you are paying for. The main reason we are all at college is to attend classes and gain an education. So many people are not given this opportunity, because of this we should all take advantage of our current situation. This leads to the idea that school does come first: try hard in classes so you are not stressing the last seconds to save a grade, study for your midterms with effort so you can take the test with confidence, and prioritize school because this is why we are all here. 

3. Learn to be uncomfortable

   1. This piece of advice has been the most impactful for me. I am a transfer student and adjusting to a new school the second time is still just as uncomfortable and awkward. The reassurance that everyone feels uncomfortable from time to time is comforting, but hearing the growth from those experiences is inspiring. By learning to be uncomfortable now, then in the future in my career or other situations, I will be able to navigate through the uncomfortable tension with ease since I have done it in the past. Growth only comes from uncomfortable places, so just remember to keep pushing through and you will reap the benefits in the future. 

4. Be unapologetic 

   1. I have been someone who apologizes for everything, even when it is not relevant to the situation or needed at all. Also, I have always felt the need to preface something I do as if I need to justify what I am saying or doing to prove its relevance. But, if someone is speaking to me then they are already interested in what I have to say so there is no need to preface a question or comment. Adding onto this, if nothing occurred that requires a legitimate apologize, then do not say sorry. A way I have navigated this is by saying “I appreciate your understanding” instead of apologizing. 

I hope these pieces of advice prove to you that age does not equate to wisdom since these all came from 19-22 year olds. This has encouraged me to look at my friends and peers more as people to refer to for help and guidance since they just have experienced the struggles or problems I am facing. Now, I will share my piece of advice: find the positive in everything you do! By finding the positive, it helps block out the negatives while showing you benefit from the certain experience :)