Classes. They are either the bane of your existence or an escape from reality.
But at some point, we all realize that it makes no sense to believe that everything you learn in your four years will be in the classroom. Here are the top five things I have learned in my undergrad that I didn't learn in class.
1. Your grades don't define you.
I clearly remember my first D- on an exam. I'm a bright kid, but I am not wired for Spanish class. It hurt to make a bad grade, but that one D was worth roughly .001 percent of my total GPA. By all means, work hard and give it your best, but know that failing is a part of life. The book of Proverbs says that a person who can't accept their failures and take correction is a person who will never succeed. So are you perfect? No. Then you are going to fail. If not in class, then it will be at practice, work or relationships. How you lose always says more about you than how you win.
On top of all that, the ability to learn about things which you are not graded on is a skill which will follow you for the rest of your life!
2. Your friends help get you through everything, good and bad.
Cookout runs at 2 in the morning? Done. Pet fish died and you need to give it a viking funeral? Done. Stupid picture? Done.
Laughs, tears, stress, studying, coffee, cuddling, relationship issues, low on cash, a place to crash, home-cooked meal? Done and done.
There is little in this world that is more enjoyable and comforting than a good friend.
They are hard to come by, but once you have a few, you gotta hang on tight.
Teachers can be friends, too!
3. Roots are so important.
It is hard to know how much your history has affected you until others point it out. Bluegrass, mountains, UT Football, Dr. Enuff, southern pride, flannel, "Friday Night Lights," church, cows, tobacco farms, correct pronunciation of the word Appalachian (Ah-puh-lah-chin). Home is home. Be careful not to dig up your roots too quickly. Slow down and learn to appreciate it.
C.S. Lewis once said, "A pleasure is only fully grown when it is remembered."
Plus, it is always pretty cool to be able to brag on people from your hometown. Shout out to Daniel Norris!
4. Your life is more than you can put in a resume.
Odds are the majority of what makes you who you are isn't going to be on this piece of paper. It might tell a half dozen things about jobs you have held or were assigned, but who you are is a work in progress. Don't sell yourself short. Character, connections and work ethic will get you a job, and a degree might help you get a little higher paying one... Maybe...
5. Sometimes opportunities are often as good as reasons.
The greatest experiences which have formed me in college have been rooted in last-minute decisions and adventures which I jumped headlong into without having all the details worked out. And you know what? I have traveled everywhere from San Diego to Texas to Toronto and back. And you know what? I have made more friends, job opportunities, business contacts and life direction from those travels than anything else which I have every done. So be wild. Go. Take a chance and bring a friend with you!
