As the semester comes to a close, I find myself thinking about what I have learned so far. College is a time of success, trial and error, and hard work. At the end of the day, everyone is working toward their degree and their dream career. While our classes are very much a huge part of what we learn, we continue to learn more and more about life and about ourselves each day. I've taken sciences, a few history classes, math -- the usual. But what has college actually taught me? What life lessons and skills have I learned that I did not see coming? College has taught me...
1. How to get ready in 30 minutes
Now, granted, I may always be late no matter where I am going. But, nonetheless, I have learned how to get ready in 30 minutes. Hit the snooze one too many times? That's OK, because college has taught us to get up, get ready, and run to wherever we need to be in 30 minutes... sometimes less. (photo www.goodhousekeeping.com)
2. Gas station food isn't as bad as my high school self thought it was.
If you have every eaten mozzarella sticks or fried macaroni bites late night at a Sheetz, congratulations, you're in college! And yes, these fried, ooey-gooey little bites of deliciousness are heaven in your mouth. Before college, I would have never looked at a gas station and thought, "Wow, I bet they have delicious fried pickles!" But now, it's hard to drive past a Sheetz without stopping to satisfy those cravings. (photo www.csnews.com)
3. It is OK to branch out and make friends that are totally different from your home friends.
Yes, we love our home friends. They will forever be our friends, and hold special places in our hearts. However, coming to college has taught me that it is OK to make friends who belong to different social groups than my home friends. I'm the type of person who does not specifically fall into one group, because I have learned that making friends with multiple groups is much more fun. In high school you have your clicks and you stick to the status quo. But in college, that is definitely not the case! (photo www.commons.wikimedia.org)
4. It is possible to fall asleep anywhere.
When I say anywhere, I mean anywhere. Anywhere at all!
College kids are constantly on the run, so when we crash, we crash hard. Whether you're in class, doing homework in the library, eating dinner, or trying to stay up to finish your research paper -- when you cannot fight off sleep any longer, it will fall upon you wherever you are. It is not uncommon to see someone asleep on a couch in the library, with papers spread around them everywhere, defeated once again by sleep. The sweet, sweet release of sleep. (photo www.slcspeaks.com)
5. Coffee really does save the day.
Some of us liked coffee in high school, and we might have even thought we needed it back then. But now, coffee is your life-saver. A little raft you cling to while drowning in your pool of school work. Late-night study session? Coffee. Early morning presentation? Coffee. The answer is always coffee. (photo www.indulgy.com)
6. Don't take home-cooked meals and family time for granted.
As you stare at the same turkey and cheddar wrap you've eaten for three days in a row, don't you long for some delicious home-made mac and cheese, or maybe a whole entire casserole? Literally anything other than food that has not been prepared at your school's cafeteria or the various restaurants by your school. What about family time? Don't you miss spending time with your family? College has taught me a lot about how much my family means to me. Even as a commuter student, I hardly ever have time for a home-cooked meal or to spend time with my family. College sure does teach you to appreciate these things we often take for granted.
7. It is OK to be less than perfect.
Nothing about college is absolutely, 100 percent perfect. But that's life! College is the time in our lives where we may make mistakes, aim high and get shot down, and lose ourselves if we aren't careful. But if we surround ourselves with the right people, remember to stay level-headed, and work really hard toward our goals, everything will end up OK in the end. College is a trying time, and it's definitely not a time to worry about perfection; but, if you live your life to the fullest and give it your all, college can be the best four years of your life.
