I sat in my advisor’s office last Tuesday going over my schedule for the upcoming spring semester when I was asked, “Have you redeclared your major so you’re on the new course plan?” I replied, “Well, next semester is my last semester so, no.” And the conversation continued. It took me about two minutes to finalize my schedule, because I only need one class for my major next semester.
Walking out of the office, I think that’s when it finally hit me. Next semester is my last semester of college.
Later that night, I sat around with my roommates, people I’ve been friends with since the first week of freshman year, and we went around talking about how we’ve changed. Here are the four things that we all agreed on.
1. You’ll pick up (bad) habits.
Before I went to college simply the smell of coffee disgusted me, and the taste was even worse. But now, I somehow can’t get through the day without a mug in the morning. It’s different for everyone. Whether it’s drugs, smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, consuming fast food or relying on caffeine to get through the day, I can guarantee you’ll pick up something that you didn’t touch during high school. Good luck!
2. You’ll get smarter.
Actually learning something while receiving a higher education? Who would’ve thought! But really, you’ll find yourself browsing through books you read in high school, or reading old essays you turned in, and it’ll be truly cringe-worthy. You’re walking away from college with four more years of knowledge under your belt! Of course you’ll be smarter. On the other hand, you’ll only know more in your major. As an English major, I can truly say that all high school math has found it’s way out of my brain. I can’t even recite the quadratic formula.
3. You’ll learn to love yourself.
High school, whether you loved it or hated it, is still an awkward time in all of our lives. If you found yourself plagued with doubts in your abilities, looks, relationships, etc. all that should change at least a little bit by the time you graduate college. You’ll become more comfortable with yourself. It’s a continual process that occurs as we age. Will you still have bad days every now and then? Of course! But you’re only human.
4. You’ll distance yourself from high school “friends”.
Here’s the amount of people I’ve stayed in good touch with since high school ended: five. Look, it’s neither a good nor a bad thing, you just grow apart. Some friends are meant to last and some friendships are temporary. As life goes on, you’ll be able to figure out who falls into what category. On the other hand, the friends that you choose to stay in touch with will probably stick around for a long time; your relationship with them will strengthen as you navigate adulthood together.
College changes everyone in some shape or form. And I’m sure after college ends and I’m out in the real world (or not), I’ll continue to grow. Embrace it. This is a good thing.
