I never pictured my actual day-by-day life as a college student. I pictured the first day, the first party, coming home on holidays and the last day. In no way did I imagine an everyday life here, and maybe I was just blind to the fact that I would miss everyone back home and would have to eat at a dining hall for the rest of my life.
What I have learned is that goodbyes get easier, each time. As the days go on, we all get more comfortable in our environment because we know what it is like to be away from the most important people in our lives. Anytime I come back to school, I always think about what it took to get here, how I got here and what I have to do here. Getting back from a weekend at home always makes me a little sad that I had to leave my comfort zone, my world and my heart. I am starting to be able to go places on my own around campus and be more comfortable with not calling home every hour and soaking in all the time I have with my family when I do see them.
Most teenagers my age just think about the materialistic things like the car, the friends, the bag and the clothes. Being a college student, I have realized nothing is easy and money doesn’t grow off of that big old maple tree at Old Main. We have to work for our accomplishments and put the time in to get the rewards.
All in all, I now know from the small amount of time I have been at college that every day is a gift – a fresh start – to do something great or to do something bad. It’s just the way you look at it.
If you are complaining about how much homework you have, how far you have to walk to get to Frat Land or are feeling depressed because you have to actually wait to use the communal showers, take a minute, and think about where you are, who you are, what you value and what you did to get here. I guarantee that you won’t get frustrated over the small stuff, and you will realize that this life won’t be here forever. So enjoy what you have right now and what you don’t because if you work for it, you will eventually have it.
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