When you finally finish the dreadful years of high school, the first thing everyone tells you is how quickly the next four years of your life will fly by. What they don’t tell you is that while these four years seem to be the quickest of your lifetime, they teach you more about yourself and what life has to offer, than you ever could have imagined.
Over the course of these four years in college you’ll endure it all. You’ll meet people you thought would be life long friends, but turn out to be different than the person you first met. You’ll find your bridesmaids, and your soul sister who you are convinced you were separated at birth from. You’ll fail a test and contemplate if you’re choosing the right career path. You’ll have your heart broken and put back together again. You’re going to stress eat worse than you ever thought imaginable (McDonald’s flurries at 2am is always a must). All of this and so much more is going to happen just during your freshman year. While all of this goes on, and you might think it’s the end of the world, as senior year approaches, you finally realize how much these times have shaped you into the person you are today, and all that these years have taught you.
Lesson 1: People change and that’s okay.
If you’re one of the few lucky ones, your college day ones are still your besties. However, in most cases, some of the people you imagined taking graduation pictures with have become just another familiar face in class. Sometimes you realize you’re not as compatible with people as you once were, and that’s totally okay!! As you become an upperclassmen and have to make the tough decisions of who to rent a house with, plan your spring break with, and the people you come to realize will always have your back, you begin to recognize it’s more about the quality than the quantity.
Lesson 2: Don’t sweat the small stuff.
These four years will show you some of the best times and some of the worst times. Everyone goes through misfortune at some point. Although it can be tough, it makes you realize to appreciate the good times, and never take anything or anyone for granted. It’s easy to become overwhelmed and feel like the world is crashing down on us at times, but it’s important to remember that this too will pass. We find ourselves getting wrapped up in simple everyday drama, but it’s important that in a scope of a lifetime, these little hiccups won’t be remembered a week from now. During these times, remember all the good in your life and do your best to stay positive
Lesson 3: Be a Girl’s Girl.
Alright ladies, listen up!! It’s a little sad to think we need this reminder but if there’s a time to be reminded of this, it’s now. If 2018 has taught us anything, it’s that empowered women, empower women. Be proud of being a strong, independent woman, and be proud of those around you. Stop judging and competing with one another. Be there for one another through it all. Never let a boy get in between you and your friends. Who’s going to be there for you to dry your tears at 2am? It sure as hell isn’t going to be him!! Stop worrying if that guy at the bar is going to ask you for your number. Enjoy the night singing and dancing with your best gal pals, because in reality, that boy probably won’t reach out to you a week from then. Be there for one another through thick and thin, reminding one another you can achieve anything you put your mind to, and you’re a strong woman!! May we know them, may we be them, may we raise them!
Lesson 4: Learn from your Mistakes.
Making mistakes is a part of life. You’re going to fail an exam. You’re going to get a parking ticket (or five). You’re going to say things you don’t mean. College teaches you that not everything in life is going to be perfect. Even those of you who feel the need to be in total control at all times, sometimes you just have to throw your hands up and let things slide by for once. When things go wrong, don’t dwell on it, wondering the millions of ways you could have done things differently. This will only make you senseless. When something goes wrong, don’t forget all the things that went right to get you this far. Take that situation, learn from it, and become a better version of yourself.
Lesson 5: Put the Phone Down and Live in the Moment
It has become evident that our generation cannot live without our cell phones and social media. Our everyday lives revolve around the aesthetic of our Instagram’s and VSCO’s, the number of likes or comments you get on a post, the number of followers you have, and scrolling to find one specific name through all those likes and comments. We live in a society addicted to technology and social media. These social networks are more anti-social networks than anything else. We don’t know how to communicate anymore, that people are resorting to apps to find a relationship, or using social media to meet someone. What happened to having a conversation? Enjoy the moment. Watch a concert with your own eyes, rather than through the camera of your cell phone as you record the entire thing on Snapchat. You paid for the ticket, didn’t you? Take a few pictures when you’re out with your friends and then put your phone away and actually talk to them. It has been shown that the presence of a single phone greatly diminishes the sincerity and quality of a conversation. Life can change in an instant. Enjoy and cherish your time with the ones you love. Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and so much more will still be there when you’re bored later on. Take the time to truly live in the moment with those around you – life can change in an instant, don’t let these moments slip by you.