As I approach my last semester of college, I take a moment to reflect on the beginning of my journey.
To be honest, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I was just a girl with talents and no clue how to apply them to a career. At some point I stopped worrying about failing and trusted in God to lead my path.
I used to think being a shy person was a bad thing, an obstacle, but it has taught me to observe my surroundings and the people that inhabit it.
See, people will try to break you and diminish your dreams. “You’re too shy to be a reporter” or “I can’t see you doing that," well to those that doubted my abilities, I’ve approached and interviewed complete strangers for stories, which is a big achievement for me.
Fear isn’t real.
It’s an imaginative entity in our minds that influences us to be afraid. College brought many fears and doubts to the forefront of my mind, but once I realized the only person that can stop me is me, I realized that others’ opinions and negativity didn’t matter because I’m in control of my future, not society. Here are a few guidelines for surviving college:
Be true to yourself!
It sounds cliche, but college is full of different and unique individuals. It is up to you to choose your niche. I am not necessarily saying that you need to find a particular click, but rather people who share your same interests and moral values.
The majority of people I have asked admit that they didn’t start drinking until they got to college. What was meant to be a few times turned into excessive drinking and skipping class throughout the week.
Of course this isn’t the case for everyone, but their rationale behind why they started drinking is usually from peer pressure and not wanting to be left out of the group.
My point is the world has enough followers and we need more leaders. More people who make their own decisions not influenced by others. Never let anyone make you feel that being you is wrong because pleasing man will not get you any closer to your goals in life.
Avoid the drama!
“You’re not in high school anymore”.
I mean that’s what they say, right?
True, but that doesn’t mean college students automatically become mature once they start attending a university. With so many different personalities in one place, a person is bound to encounter someone who seems to carry drama with them.
Observe people you meet and pay attention to their tendencies.
Do they have a tendency to gossip or bring down others for amusement?
Then it’s a high possibility that they’ve made a few enemies along their journey. When people show you who they are, believe them. Actions certainly speak louder than words.
Avoid putting yourself into a situation where you become a part of drama. Learn to walk away and remind yourself that you are better than that. Remind yourself that you’re now entering adulthood.
Remember why you're in college!
College is too expensive to waste.
Since a lump sum of your income is going to an institution, why not get the most out of it?
It is extremely easy to get off track in college because of all of the freedom that comes along with it, but with that comes responsibility and maturity.
Not showing up to class may seem okay in the beginning, but when your grades start to slip as a result don’t wonder why.
Some professors have this thing where they hand out extra credit points just for showing up, but you can’t benefit from that if you are not there.
College is not like high school where you can just miss more than three days and be alright. Many classes have policies stating if you miss more than three days you fail or get a letter grade dropped.
It would be a shame to waste time and money just to start all over again due to failing classes.
Stay dedicated and remember that all your hard work will pay off, and it’s preparing you for what you’ll be doing in the near future.
