As my last year of college is winding down and I'm slowly descending into madness, I've realized how much I've learned and have yet to learn. If I could go back and change things I would but I can't. The only thing I can do now is pass on my wisdom.
1. My father was right
I remember as a kid my father would always give me grief about doing chores or homework "half-baked" and how I had to do a good job always and had to work hard. He was right. After a while I started to realize that people would eventually need to rely on me and that I needed to be responsible and disciplined. Sometimes in class I'd slack off because I thought I knew it all but this may sound crazy but that's kind of what school is about. Thankfully I have known to work hard and get the job done well but I think of my past self and wonder what would have happened if I had tried harder. I still work hard and try to excel but I think realizing that your father is right and not trying to boss you around will help and the earlier the better.
2. Be proactive
My entire freshman year and debatably my sophomore year included, were me just going through the motions. I did well in school but I didn't work hard to succeed outside of the classroom. I barely wrote, I had no idea what to do with my life (that's really coming back to haunt me now as I look down the tunnel of uncertainty that is the rest of my life) but all that angst aside, I just figured something would work out. No. That is not how life works. You have to work hard, have a plan, and make it count in order to get what you want. For all the freshmen out there, please, don't go through the motions.
3. You're running out of time
Everyone, honestly everyone, told me that college goes fast and I didn't believe them until I returned to school to start my junior year. Listen up, kids, you don't have time. Don't go through the motions, you are running out of time, and life is going to kick your ass if you watch it go by. These are your formative years and you will reap what you sow. Never forget that. You may think you have three or four more years but you don't. You have so little time to build your future because it happens outside the classroom. You have to put in the extra work to do what you want to do.
4. Friends come and go
A very unfortunate fact of college is that people come in and out of your life. It sucks but that's that. That's why you have to make those friendships last and no you won't be friends with everyone from college but you certainly will have them if you try. Like your passion or your dream, you have to build your friendships. You have to put the time in because that's how you get the results you want, by investing hours with people and the best part is it will be a blast along the way.
5. Get involved
For my last note I'd like to say: Get involved. Don't wait until you're a sophomore to join a club or campus organization. You'll meet friends along the way and grow in ways you never thought imaginable. Never say never and try something you might like and if you don't like it that's okay just find your place and it'll be smooth sailing.
