When people said college would be a learning experience, I believed them. But I sure didn’t think I would learn as many lessons in these three and a half months as I have! Some have been serious, and some have been not-so-serious. Literally, every day I learn something new. For those who are in college, you may be able to relate to some of these. To those who may be going to college in the next few years, take this in so you don’t have to learn the hard way. For everyone who has already experienced these lessons, maybe you can look back at your college days and reminisce, I dunno.
Starting off with an obvious note, I learned to think before you speak. Think through possible situations before you open your mouth. For instance, say you’re at a toga party and a girl dancing next to you says, “Oh yeahhhh, this used to be me and my best frie- well, EX-best friend’s song!” Do not laugh and nonchalantly say, “Haha, EX-best friend.” ...................There is indeed a possibility that the girl will respond with, “Yeah, she passed away a few months ago.” I’m not saying I have learned this from experience (but I’m definitely not saying I didn’t, either…). Moral of the story: Think through why someone’s best friend could be their “ex” best friend.
I’ve also learned that if you use phrases that you use in your rural small town, people from bigger cities may give you weird looks. Like, if you say that somebody was “being ill” or if you start off your order at McDonald’s order with “I want a…” Remember that you may have to explain a few things... like the fact that supper is dinner and a buggy is a shopping cart. Even in another Southern city, a lot of people aren’t always on the same page as you because they are coming from a completely different culture.
Explore your town. You are living in a new place (maybe), so there are so many new things to discover! Walk around and go into shops, try new restaurants, meet new people… get acquainted to your town. If you’re going to be here for four years, you may as well learn all about it and embrace every little quirk!
Just because you have a breakdown over a papercut, that doesn’t mean you are emotionally unstable. Okay, so maybe it does. But you are emotionally unstable for a good reason! College is stressful, and I haven’t even gotten into my major classes yet. Yikes. But with classes, homework, essays, new friends, old friends, studying, and MAYBE time to eat (just kidding Mom, I eat), time management hits you like a brick wall. So sometimes, tiny, miniscule things may happen and it may just be the straw that broke the camel’s back. It may push you over the edge to a mental breakdown, but that’s okay. Once you’ve let all that bad stuff out, it’s time to start over and breathe the new stuff in.
The more you study, the more rewarded you feel when you make a good grade. Even if it means cutting off all communication from 1:30 pm to 1:30 am, and only taking a one hour break for supper. When you walk out of that exam and feel like you aced it, there is no better feeling! Especially when you check your grades and you see that A! (Which hasn’t exactly happened yet on that exam I studied 12 hours for, but I feel confident right now, at least.) But really, studying and succeeding is one of the best feelings in the world.
When someone asks to go on an adventure, just go! An adventure doesn’t necessarily mean going on a three-mile hike through the wilderness, though. To me, an adventure is just a new experience, so it could be something as little as going to Walmart (and believe me, Dahlonega Walmart definitely has adventure-potential). Don’t just sit around in the room all day, get out and have fun!
Another big lesson: When the going gets tough, your family will always be there for you. You may make a dumb decision, but your family will be there to guide you right back to where you need to be. And if you make a hard decision that you know is right for the time, your family will be there to back you up and encourage you. I’ve made both easy, bad decisions and hard, good decisions, and without my family I wouldn’t have been able to get through them. So thank you to my daddy for praying for me, my mom for having awkward Walmart photo wars, and to my brother for FaceTiming me from Disneyland.
No matter what, just be you. Don’t let other people influence what you want to be, because this is a brand new start for you, so you can be exactly who you want to be when you get here. College is awesome, and you can be the most awesome you that you can be, too! Not sure if that even made sense, but hey - it’s all good. You do you.
Blogging has been a struggle (if you couldn’t tell by that month-long delay), but I’m getting back into the swing of things as classes start slowing down!
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
-Romans 12:2 (NIV)
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