This upcoming spring is my last semester in college and I am so excited. Yet, like any other senior, I am pretty anxious of what the future can hold for me. The last four years, I have found myself looking in the mirror and wondering how the hell I got so far. In high school, I was a straight A student and even in the honor society, but college changed that for me. I'm not blaming higher education here, in all honesty, I just stopped trying because I have had the pressure of being a great student shoved down my throat for so long that I was exhausted. I finally understood the real temptation of procrastination and I was lost. I still am but I'm enjoying it now. Despite my shortcomings, I think there's quite a few things I've learned that I believe are worth sharing:
1. What real education is.
Education is not just going to school and drifting through the day or taking a certain amount of classes so you can have the pretty title of being a graduate and having a degree. Education is application. If you can sit in class, pay attention and actually learn information that you will learn how to use in the future or present, you are being educated. I can't tell you how many classes I feel have wasted my time and others where I would walk out mind blown. It was those mind blowing classes that stick with me everyday. My perspective has broadened because my education keeps growing.
2. It is worth it to work your ass off for good grades.
I have had my fair shares of A's in college but I've had a few D's and even an F. You know that cliché that your first semester of college is your worst? Yeah, total bullshit. My third semester was my worst. I had a few D's and I failed a class for the first time. My 3.0 GPA went down to a 1.9. It was only a year and a half later that I was able to get it back up to a 3.0. My point is that I received those grades because I stopped caring. Yet, I have seen so many of my fellow classmates work their asses off and be very proud of how far they go for their education. As great as it can be to not give a shit, it's also great to build self-discipline and to hold yourself to a higher standard. Setting yourself with some high academic goals prepares you to set big goals in your every day life.
3. Invest in your mental heath.
I suffer from anxiety and frequent panic attacks but I hadn't asked for help until a few months ago. My anxiety reached new heights about two years ago and I didn't go talk to someone because I was stubborn and prideful. I thought that going to someone was weak. Yet, the real weakness (for me) was in holding myself back from real growth. Most colleges offer free mental health services and it's something that should be taken advantage of; especially by students who get easily stressed out. Even if you're just stressed out and need to vent to someone, therapy helps. No problem is too small; if it's bothering you, confront it and heal from it.
4. Take classes that interest you, not your parents.
Even though they have always had the best intentions, I do suffer from a parent that likes to control what I study and how I want to spend the rest of my life. I set boundaries with said parent; told them that I was grateful for everything they have done for me but that this was my life, not theirs. As hard and crazy as that conversation may seem, if you need to have it with your parents, then do it. College should be the safe haven for your intellectual and artistic brain. It's a time where you have none to few responsibilities. So take advantage and learn as much as you can because your life will soon fill up with time consuming tasks.
5. It's okay to fail.
That one course that I failed hurt me really bad. I never even told my parents about it because I was always too scared. Yet, I have embraced that failure. I haven't failed or come close to failing a course ever since and for that, I am genuinely proud. It doesn't even have to be an academic failure. Whether you have a setback in school or in your personal life, I promise you that you will bounce back. You owe it to yourself to learn about the ways that you can grow.
Even though my academic career is coming to a close, I feel ready too keep learning from what the world has to offer. Whether you're a fellow student or not, I hope what I've learned has connected with you. All the best.
