You didn't know how much college would teach you when you first started out, but now that the end of your first year is here, you realize how much it's already shaped you. Past beliefs were broken, and new perspectives were created, and you learned more life lessons in nine months than you could've imagined. Whether you're finishing up your freshman year, or your senior year, here are (probably) the top 5 things your freshman year taught you.
1. Your parents actually are super heroes.
When we were little, we wanted to be exactly like our parents, but as we grew up, they became a burden and everything they did for us went unnoticed -- until we got to college, that is. They worked longer than we have class now, and somehow when we got home, there was dinner on the table, no dishes in the sink, nothing overflowing out of the trash can, and you could see the floor of your house. In college, our rooms really look like the exact opposite of our homes our parents somehow kept together.
When was the last time I took out the trash? No idea. How long have those dishes been in the sink? No idea. Do I have any clean clothes to wear tomorrow? Probably not, they're all on my floor. And then there's all the appointments that they not only remembered, but also attended, all the grocery runs they made, and in addition to that, they somehow exercise, shower, and eat breakfast, all before our bodies even consider waking up. And now that we've been on our own and had to attempt to accomplish everything they do (resulting in plenty of failure), we realize our parents probably are super heroes after all.
2. Not everyone sticks around forever.
High school friends are great, they really are. BUT, sometimes the promises you made to FaceTime each other every day just fall through. You're both busier than you've ever been, you're probably meeting someone new every single day, and your lives are just different. You don't have all the same connections as you used to, but that's okay. The memories you have with each other won't change, and the impact they had on your life won't change. You both still love each other and laugh when you look back on old pictures, and you'll rejoice in the times you see each other again. Just because people don't always stay in your life doesn't mean their presence wasn't valuable. Don't fret; the people that are truly meant to stay, will stay.
3. You actually do love your high school home.
You wished to get away for basically all of your senior year of high school, but by the end of your freshman year of college, you'll realize there's no place like home. For such a long part of your life, you belonged there. You knew everything that happened within a few hours of it happening and you shared a bond with everyone you lived around. Sure, it all seemed boring at the time, but any chance you get to go home you gladly take, and just seeing all the familiar stores and street signs will bring a smile to your face.
4. Money isn't that important.
College taught us a lot of things about money -- one, for example, that it is very rare -- but I think the most important lesson college taught us about money is that it isn't as important as we previously thought. In high school, almost everything we did revolved around money. We needed the newest clothes, the nicest phone, and all the concert tickets. Since your parents payed for all your food and other necessities, you probably had the funds for this stuff in high school, so it all seemed very important.
However, when you're thrown into college with only your bank account as a support system, you realize you don't have a lot of spending money. And by not having extra spending money, you realize you don't always need that much anyways. Not having money taught us how to have fun without spending anything, that we don't always need the shoes in three different colors, and that the memories and experiences we'll have with those around us will always beat out anything money could buy.
5. Adventure is out there.
You left for a new school where you met people from all kinds of different places, places you'd probably never heard of before, and you didn't have your parents telling you that a four hour round-trip drive is too far for one day. Your eyes were finally opened to all the hidden treasures of cities and states that you'd been missing out on, and all of a sudden your wanderlust ignited and you just wanted to go. You hated yourself for only spending time during high school in your hometown and you changed the thought that the town you lived in is the only town worth being in. You made trips to places you'd never been, and you've got an even longer list of places you'll explore with your best friends before college is over. The whole world finally became visible.
6. Work hard, play hard.
College is hard. You quickly came to realize all the mentions of all-nighters were not exaggerated, professors don't always want to be your friend, and there's always something you need to be doing. Yes, get your things done and keep your grades up. However, don't let classes run your college story. Skip an occasional class to spend time with your friends, lose sleep because you had a movie marathon on a Tuesday night, and do not pass up the invitation to a late-night food run. College is stressful and overwhelming, but it will also (most likely) be the most fun four years you'll ever have. Make "the most fun" the actual most fun you can. You won't regret doing something that made you smile, but you'll probably regret spending all your hours on schoolwork. You deserve a little play time, and it's okay to take it.
7. This life is YOURS.
That's a very liberating thought, but also a very stressful one. It's all up to you; you don't have anyone telling you what to do anymore. Start fresh on all your ideas and decide things for yourself. Rethink your political decisions; educate yourself and take a position based off of what you know and believe, not your parents or the majority of your town. Pick the major and the classes you want; you've got four years to make a basis of what you're going to do for the rest of your life, and if the basis is something you don't enjoy, you probably won't enjoy what you'll do when you get out of college either.
Make your faith your own. Your parents can't tell you when to go to church or to pray with them at night and before you eat. Your relationship is completely your own and will grow depending on what you put into it. Your motivation and reasons for your faith and relationship should now only come from things in your own life, not off of what others are telling you. Nobody but you should decide the things that will affect you most!
You're about to finish one of the biggest years of change in your life, and you can already see some of the things you've learned from it. These lessons are irreplaceable and you'll find they'll help guide you through not only your next three (or five or seven) years of college, but forevermore after that. So here's to growing up, life lessons, and freshman year. And just imagine -- if freshman year has taught us this much, what does sophomore year have in store?
