We all expect to learn lots of new exciting things when we go to college and start classes, but some of the most worthwhile lessons won't be found on any quizzes or exams. My first year was filled with laughs and tears and every emotion in between, and along the way, I learned a lot in and out of the classroom.
Lesson #1: There will never be enough time.
Time-management. It always has and always will be the key to succeeding in college. There is no time machine or pause button, so decisions have to be made. Something I discovered early on was that college forces everyone to make time for even the smallest things. When there are 10 assignments looming over your head, even eating and sleeping require appointments.
Lesson #2: You're not going to like every professor.
Every college student will tell you that your professor can make or break the class, depending on his or her expectations. We all know it and are glued to Rate My Professor to help us make sure we pick a professor we will mesh well with. However, I have learned to put that pursuit to bed. College is meant to challenge everyone, and professors want to play a part in that. It is their job, after all. I have learned to roll with the punches and let the challenges each professor presents to strengthen me and my ability to adapt. I know my education will mean more to me with every obstacle I have to overcome along the way.
Lesson #3: No excuses.
It can get really easy to make excuses every time an assignment doesn't get done or a grade reflects the lack of studying, but really all you're doing is justifying that failure. It's okay to make mistakes because this is a learning process, but don't excuse them. Be hard on yourself. Keep your expectations for yourself high and whenever you fall short, figure out what needs to be done to be able to get up and keep going.
Lesson #4: The "college experience" is overrated.
Like a lot of college students, I don't have the luxury of devoting all of my time to college. I have bills to pay so I work part time, and this really cuts into time that most people want to see me spending with friends or in school clubs. A large portion of my time outside of class goes to work and homework, and that's really okay. At first, I really felt guilty, since I wasn't getting that "college experience," but this is my college experience. I didn't decide to enroll in college to have a good time and make lots of friends, so when that happens it just feels like a bonus. I came to college because I want a successful career that can give me the kind of life I want, so if that means skipping the parties and the club meetings, I'm okay with that.
Lesson #5: We're all just faking it.
During my freshman year, I constantly got the feeling that everyone had it more together than I did. I felt like I was completely inadequate when it came to the assignments and the expectations, but after awhile, I realized that we all feel that way. We're all fumbling around blindly, trying to get the hang of things before we get left behind, and that can be terrifying. We all feel completely out of our depth when we get our first research assignment or we're looking at that first exam, but we want to save face so we don't show the panic we are feeling. But we all did it. We all got through it, and it's a little less scary each time something makes us feel a little inadequate. So I don't fret anymore when I feel a little lost because odds are, someone else is feeling it too.
I love school so far. It's exciting and challenging and it's constantly molding me into a better version of myself. Regardless, some of that molding is painful, and some of the best memories came after the most stressful ones. But I am still going at it every day. Tracee Ellis Ross says it best: "I am learning every day to allow the space between where I am and where I want to be to inspire me and not terrify me."
