As sad as it is to say, college is coming to an end. I have had some of the best and worst times all throughout these last 4 years. I have met so many amazing people that I now call my best friends. I wouldn’t trade any of the time I have had here for anything. As confusing as it may seem sometimes, we are still trying to figure out who we are and what the future holds. The new experiences are endless and there are so many lessons learned along the way.
Stay Organized. It is important that you stay on top of your work and try to manage your time properly. For me, it is easiest to have a folder for each of my 5 classes and I make sure that anything I did in class that day goes into the folder. This way when you have a test coming up it won’t be hard for you to find all the correct materials and information to study from.
Take time for yourself. Your mental and physical health play an extremely important role in your success throughout college. So after a long and stressful day, take the time to sit back and relax. Trust me you deserve it more than you know. If you have any energy left in you that day try to get in some exercise so you can stay healthy. For the days when you can’t find the energy to do that, stay home and put on a face mask, watch your favorite show, and drink plenty of water because your body needs to be taken care of in order to avoid being sick.
Don’t be afraid to say “no” sometimes. While trying new things and taking risks is crucial in career development, doing what you heart says is always the right answer even if you say “no”. Many college students always take on way to many things like joining clubs and making commitments they later regret. We have a mindset of trying to get our resume to look perfect and we think by making all these commitments it will. But you need to realize the stress it is causing is not worth it in the end and you need to say “no”. Only take on what you know you are capable of doing.
You are in charge of your learning. The adjustment from high school to college can be hard for many people. One of the toughest things for me was hearing over and over again from my professors that we are responsible for our learning. At the end of the day you are the one who needs to get up, go to class and pay attention to what you are being taught. Sometimes you are given challenging situations to deal with and answers won’t come easy. But you need to take matters into your own hands and find ways to overcome the problem.
Everyone in college needs to understand how important it is to enjoy your time because it will fly by. It has been 4 years filled with laughter, cries, fun, new experiences and most of all new friendships. Thank you for everything you have taught me.