We all know that high school years are the most prominent years of your life. The time where you’re finally getting through that awkward stage, learning how to drive and getting your first job. You spend the last four years with the kids you grew up with, in the town you cannot wait to get out of. Just when you thought that you could take on the world after high school, college came and knocked you on your a**…in a good way. Just like high school, you experience a lot of firsts. Most importantly, your college experience is when you learn uncountable life lessons. Here are five things college will teach you, whether you realize it or not.
1. Balance
Nothing teaches you balance like having six classes, a job, a relationship, friends to cater to, a position in Greek life, and living on your own. We may think that we have our shit together now, but balance is key to surviving college and the rest of your life.
2. Don't sweat the small stuff
Being a senior in college I have just now realized how much time I’ve taken out of my day to stress about things that are simply out of my control. Whether it’s transferring schools, project deadlines, friendships, work, or fitting in, stress has gotten the best of us sometimes. Don’t sweat the small stuff because, quite frankly, you won’t remember half the things you stressed about years from now.
3. Independence
College means living on your own. It means learning how to do your laundry, live with another human being in a very small space, how to cook and grocery shop. Although it may seem sucky to learn these things on your own, the rewards of being independent are indescribable. It teaches you to have a sudden appreciation for your parents and the things you once never knew how to do.
4. Appreciation for your hometownNothing is worse than having to MapQuest your way to the grocery store, the mall or a friend’s house. College teaches you to have an appreciation for the town you know like the back of your hand. Even more, it makes you appreciate the people in that little town and all of the memories you shared.
5. You can do this
Nobody prepared you for the sleepless nights or the mini breakdowns you were bound to experience in college, the homesickness or the desire for somewhere familiar to drive to. Despite the challenges you face, you’ll learn a lot in college; who you are, who you want to be and how important it is to keep pushing forward. You can do this, whether you believe it or not.
