As a sophomore in college, there are many things from the past few years that I have looked back on, wishing I would have tried harder or done more. Whatever the case, it is in the past, so I do not worry about it, but what I can do is try to share some advice with students younger than me in hopes that it will leave them with less regrets in the future. High schoolers, especially you seniors who are about to venture out into the college community, should really listen to what I have to say and consider it during the course of your studies.
I am such a procrastinator. As much as I wish I was not, I have to admit that I am. Of course, since I know this about myself, I have been taking steps to improve the way I work while approaching deadlines, and this is the first piece of advice I give to you. If you can help it, do not wait until the last minute or the night before to complete an assignment or tackle a project. Get a planner, write down when your assignments are due as soon as they are assigned to you. Every day, or at least every other day, look at your next two weeks and see what deadlines are coming soon. Trust me, they will creep up on you faster than you will expect. And you do not have to complete the whole assignment in one sitting. Work on it some days before the deadline, and come back to it from time to time until it is finished. This technique has really taken some stress off of me and has helped me better understand the material or course work I am completing!
Another piece of advice I would give to someone younger than me would be to enjoy every day and to always find the best in everything. Even if a person is having a terrible day, and they feel like nothing good could happen, he/she needs to try to have a positive outlook on life. Something I always tell myself when I have a bad day is that there is going to be a better day. I have been through a lot of hard times in my life, but I try to never let it get to me. I try to never let it known to others that something is bothering me. I attempt to always be happy or seem like I am happy. I have noticed that people around me always seem to be in a better mood when I am happy. Besides, nobody enjoys being around a negative person or somebody who gripes and complains all the time. Try to always smile, even when things are rough. Every day is not going to be bad. There will be a better day, especially if you have a positive outlook and convince yourself that there will be.
One other piece of advice I would like to give would be to never take anything for granted. People and even material things that people do not even realize can be taken away are taken away. I noticed that here lately a lot of high school students and younger adults, college students included, have been losing their lives, whether it is by an accident or by suicide. I have lost a grandparent recently, and how I wish I would have spent more time with her, especially during her last few months. Somebody who has just seen today might not be here tomorrow, so enjoy their company while it is still possible. Never take anybody for granted. There is no way to be certain they will still be here tomorrow.
There is so much more advice I could give to younger people, especially those in high school, but I felt like these three were the most important ones. I wish someone would have gave me this advice, or I wish I would have paid attention because somebody probably did. Please do not take my advice lightly. Do not be a procrastinator, have a positive outlook on life and never take anything for granted.
