It's clichéd because it's true — time passes at the blink of an eye. It seems like just yesterday that I touched down in sunny Los Angeles, moving to a new city I would call home for the next 4 years.
Now here's another cliché, this time untrue — college is the best 4 years of your life. For me it certainly wasn't. My USC experience has been a bumpy road that, with all its ups and downs, tested my resiliency at every turn.
Yet, on the verge of graduation, I find myself overcome with a sense of melancholy. There is still so much I want to do...people to meet (or get to know better), skills to learn and classes to take.
Tick. Tock. The countdown to graduation has never rung louder in my ears.
Because things come in threes, one last cliché — Carpe diem! To the ones who still have a ways to go before nabbing that diploma, here's a near-graduate's advice to make the best of your precious days in school and avoid any regrets.
1. Explore and Delve Into Your Interests
Look, I get it. School is a boatload of work and the last thing you want to do after a long day is go to a club meeting you can easily do without.
The key is to identify your interests and find the right groups that truly are enriching to your life, not just for your resume. This takes a bit of trial and error, but joining a community of like-minded people can be the quickest shortcut to finding your "college family".
Next semester, put aside your laziness and give video games a break. Delve into whatever it is you are passionate about — dancing, singing, robotics, quidditch(!?). Whatever it is, don't hold back from trying out for fear of rejection or not fitting in. There's a niche for everyone, and you will feel at home when you find it.
2. Choose Your Friends Wisely
College is a time to meet new people, build your network and broaden your perspectives. However, inevitably there will be relationships and/or friendships that don't turn out the way you envisioned. Fact of the matter is some people will befriend you for the wrong purposes, some take more than they give and some live double-faced identities; you could do without the drama.
Although some social butterflies try to appease everyone, trust me when I say quality truly trumps quantity when it comes to friends. Slowly drift away or cut off entirely, but removing draining relationships from your inner circle will only be to your benefit. You are only as good as the company you keep.
3. Take Care of Your Health
I can't stress this one enough. Your health, mental and physical, is indubitably one of most important things at any stage of your life.
College is understandably an exciting time. Finally away from family, you are free to set your own daily regimen, whether that's staying up until 3 a.m. or packing it in before 12 (Take it from a sleep deprived soul, don't fall victim to those meaningless post-midnight hours, however tempting they may be).
You are also free to make, let's put it nicely, questionable decisions. For those who lack self-restraint or a clear compass, vices such as alcohol and drugs can become a very slippery slope. Although we are young, we are not invincible. You do not want to feel the repercussions of your ill-advised actions years down the line.
Turning to the mental side of things, college can be a very stressful time. There are so many external or self-imposed pressures that can bog you down. Don't be afraid to ask for help and most importantly, establish a support group that you can trust during times of need (See point above). There is zero shame in admitting you've fallen. You just need to have those who will dust you off and help you stand again.
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As graduation inches closer, there are things I look back on and events I wish turned out differently. Although I come out of college undoubtedly a more mature and well-rounded person, I hope my advice can save the lucky ones in school some trouble. Enjoy every last bit of college while it lasts because before you know it, this chapter will come to a close.
