“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it.“ -Steve Jobs
So here is a list of eight things I have found to make the best college experience.
1. Find yourself
The pressures of society demand that everyone be seeking to find their significant other, their best friends and popularity. Though people strive on relationships and need them to get through, college is prime time for finding yourself. Seek out your passions and dreams, find something to invest in and put faith into. Don’t get caught up in pleasing everyone or seeking out a significant other or fitting in with popularity.
2. Embrace your "isms"
Personally, I have what I like to call, “Jesse-isms”. They are the little aspects of life that I genuinely love and couldn’t do without, such as: studying in coffee shops, journaling, walking around a town exploring and having time on the weekends to call and Skype my closest friends and family. Know your simple ways of enjoying time and allow what you genuinely love to have some precedence in your life.
3. Seek out like-minded friends
I realized what it meant when people said, “you will find your closest friends in college.” But it didn’t necessarily mean I would meet all new people and find my new best friends, although that did happen. When I first came to school, I did not know that some of the people I met would be some of the people I would know and love for the rest of my life. In addition though, I also caught up with older friends that I had lost touch with. It is one thing to have a group of people that you can enjoy on a whim, it is another to have select friends that you can truly confide in and trust to hold you accountable.
4. Be transparent with those who truly care
Thankfully, I have always been close with my two siblings, and our relationships have only flourished the older we become. Along with having select, close friends, take advantage of the people who care about you the most. Whether that be a parent, guardian, sibling, cousin or grandparent. It could even be a close family friend -- a mentor that knows you well and is present in your life. Invest in that person. There is beauty in transparency and openness. Know and invest in someone you feel comfortable going to when you need to talk, listen, or gain advice.
5. Stay active
Whether you consider yourself fit or not, please exercise. You don’t have to be an athlete or a gym rat, but if you keep your body moving and active, you will be pleasantly surprised at how it relieves you from other stresses. I find that if I do something active, it really does help with taking the focus off everything else, even for 45 minutes. Help your body help your mind.
6. Stay organized and tidy
Take at least 5 minutes to make your bed. It really does just set an orderly atmosphere to your room. I firmly believe if you are surrounded by clutter then you have less focus. I wouldn’t consider myself a clean freak or obsessive-compulsive, but I love organizing and cleaning -- it’s my stress reliever or maybe another “Jesse-ism.” Granted, my room is not spotless 24/7, but I do try my hardest to keep my clothes off the floor and my garbage can from overflowing. It's those little, two-minute chores that really save your sanity and stress levels.
7. Keep a planner and use sticky notes
I’m telling you, the more you write things down, the less you have to attempt at filing everything in your brain. There is something about seeing it on paper and checking it off a list that is reassuring and much more effective. Having a weekly, daily, and hourly planner is so convenient and less stressful. Even the little things of setting a time to do homework or going to the gym takes away some pressure of remembering every little thing.
8. Don't settle
Use your time and resources wisely. Don’t overload to the point that you can’t have fun, but don’t be so lazy that you slack in your work. Set goals and make objectives to fulfill them. Seek out greatness, whatever that may look like and embrace the younger years of life to embrace yourself and the people around you.
