I always had this idea of what starting college would be like, but boy was I wrong. I pictured it to be a super fun place where everyone was friends with everyone. Basically the typical Hollywood description of college. I thought I would be able to get around no problem, but I often found myself lost with no clue where to go. Asking for directions is kind of a habit of mine now. Of course adjusting to a new environment, being away from home, and basically being forced to become an adult over night has its ups and downs, but I want to focus on what I have gained from this year. Let’s take a look at the lessons that I have learned over the course of my first year of college.

Studying matters.

I thought coming into college I would be able to slide by in my classes, as I did in high school. I thought by doing the bare minimum that I could get by and make it. But I soon found out by taking Human Anatomy as one of my first courses that I was terribly mistaken. I had to study day and night and read and reread the material so I would sometimes understand, maybe.. half of the lecture. It was a nightmare. But I made it out alive and somehow passed the course(barely). But through this extremely challenging course it taught me to get my act together, buckle down and study. Because grades do matter. Just getting by is not how college should be. I am paying for this schooling so I need to make the best of it and give it my 110% even if I don’t want to. I learned that studying and working hard really do pay off and are rewarding. Most importantly, though, I learned being a nerd in college is one of the coolest and smartest things a person can do.

Going out isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

It’s your first time away from home, you are your own boss. You set the rules for yourself. So why not go crazy and hit up every party that you hear about or are invited to? Well, the truth is partying isn’t all it’s made up to be. I’m sure you can have a blast with some pals and have a good time while engaging in everything that college parties have to offer. But is it worth it? Is the few hours of fun worth feeling like absolute hell the next day? Possibly making you skip a few of your classes because you honestly feel like you’re dying and can’t even make it to the bathroom, let alone to the hall across campus for class. Well personally, I have learned this year that partying isn’t worth it. Yes, I can go out and have some fun for awhile but I don’t believe that a few hours of fun is worth all of the repercussions. I like waking up and feeling ready for the day, not feeling like I’m dead. I like being able to go to class and get what I need done. I love being able to hang out with my friends and not have to drink or go out to have a good time. You have to figure out what works for you, and ultimately makes you happy. But remember we are in college for classes and to work towards a degree, not party.

You will meet the nicest (and the meanest) of people.

Coming into college, not knowing anyone, I thought I would find my long lost best friend in the blink of an eye. But that wasn’t the case for me. I dealt with a lot of negative people and didn’t really know who I could turn to or trust. I strongly believe that no matter where you go in life you will always run into people that will want to bring you down and make you feel less than what you actually are. And I dealt with this a lot at the beginning of the year. But in an awesome twist of events by the middle of the year, I had found two of my closest friends. We had been friends all along but something happened and we all just clicked and it was love ever since. I owe a lot to those two girls, if it wasn’t for them I would have had multiple meltdowns, I most likely would’ve ripped my hair out and I probably would have found myself in some pretty sticky situations. I learned that even though you will meet some awful people that make you want to cry, you will also meet those that will pick you up when you’re down, wipe away those tears and get you a doughnut to make you feel better.

Family is everything.

I have always been close to my family, but more importantly my sisters. They have always been there for me, leading and guiding me in the right direction. I can honestly say growing up and pre-college that I took my relationships with them for granted. They knew I loved them and that I would do anything for them, but I didn’t really tell them secrets or let them really see me for who I am. Mainly because of being afraid of either judgment or disapproval. I always wanted to please them and make sure they were proud of me, so I didn’t want to tell them anything that could jeopardize that. But coming to college and experiencing so many things and really not knowing what to do, I chose to turn to them. What I didn’t realize at the time that this would make them my absolute best friends. I started calling and texting them every single day. First, it was about classes and friends, but it quickly turned personal. I would tell them secrets and confided in them about boys, drama and everything. Not only did going to college make me and my sisters closer but it brought on a whole new level of our relationship that we had never crossed before. I learned that my family is my go to for everything. My sisters know everything about me, and they are forced to continue to love me even when I tell them the ugly parts of my life. I learned that college broke past my fears of telling my sisters about my life, and really allowed them be a part of my life.

Eating is important.

I know this might sound silly but seriously, eating is so, so important. Making sure that you are filling your body will food that will give you the energy and strength to get through classes, work and everything else you have going on. Skipping meals became a thing I would often do. Skipping breakfast gave me an extra 15 minutes of sleeping; skipping lunch gave me extra time to do class work, or to nap. I wouldn’t do it every day but it just wasn’t a biggie to me. I thought it was okay to do that to my body. But I learned the hard way that I needed to fuel my body so I could do the things on my to-do list, and be able to have energy to hang out with friends and be happy. Skipping meals seems like it doesn’t have an effect on you, but it does! Skipping meals tricks your body into thinking it’s in starvation mode, which means your body will steal key nutrients and what it needs from your bones and other organs! It also makes you less alert and more susceptible to getting sick! I was often sick and never had the energy to do what I needed or wanted to do. But I learned that by simply eating even something small each meal time that I would be okay. I make sure to get a least something for each meal and make sure I am eating and drinking enough each day. I learned that keeping myself healthy is one of the most important things I can do for myself.

Figuring out who you are is hard.

College is the time to find out who you really are, and the type of person you really want to be. Although this is a lifelong process, college is where most of self-discovery begins. Freshman year is a challenging year physically and mentally. On top of now being an adult, being on your own for the first time, and trying to balance your hectic schedule you are expected to rediscover yourself and figure out what you want in and from life. I have been puzzled by this all year. But what I learned from this is that everything takes time. And with time everything changes. One minute I’m in love with this author and the next I’m on to someone in a completely different genre with a completely different writing style. This might be a lame example, but seriously. At my age everything is changing because I am constantly changing. I am learning so many new things and experiencing life for the first time on my own, so of course I’m going to be different now than I was even last week. So with this, I have learned that finding who I am and who I want to be will constantly change as I grow and change as a person. My basic morals and values will stay in place, but who I want to be one day might be totally different then what I want to be a month from now. I learned to grow and live life, not to think so much about the practicality of it all but just to wing it. I have learned so many great lessons and so much about myself this year from doing just that.

Not everyone may agree with the lessons that I have learned over this past year. And that is fine. I know everyone is different, and we all come from such different backgrounds and places. But these lessons that I have learned through this year have been life changing. Realizing a lot of the things I have this year have made me into a better human being. Being able to accept that life isn’t always fair and not everyone you meet is going to be nice to you is really raw but real. I think this year I learned that everything in life isn’t always going to be black and white. There are times where life is going to through you a curve ball, but you need to know who’s going to be there to help you stand up and what you are going to do with that new knowledge that you have learned.