When I graduated from high school exactly a year ago, people often kept saying "This is only the beginning!" and "This is when life really starts!" Were they really trying to tell me that everything leading up to graduation was completely irrelevant? Yes, I was young, but I had already experienced things some people never get to experience in their lifetime—both good and bad. My attitude quickly became cautious when people mentioned that it was "just the beginning." I knew they were wrong. Life didn't officially start just because I was handed a high school diploma.
But when I arrived home last week with my first year of college behind me, I realized something. I realized that maybe all those annoying people were actually kind of right. Maybe graduating from high school really is just the beginning. And for me, it was.
1. I learned how to stay positive.
I don't come from a family swarming with positive people, and unfortunately, growing up around negativity has affected me in countless ways. A simple C on a test quickly became a sign that I probably wouldn't pass the class, which then meant that I probably wouldn't be able to graduate and get into college, which meant I would never get a degree, or a job or be able to provide for myself, which meant I would just eventually starve and die.
Yes, being surrounded by negative people is not exactly easy. But in college I was able to get out on my own and, slowly but surely, move away from the negativity I used to hold onto. I surrounded myself with happy, positive people, and I was able to grow and thrive in that comfortable environment. I started believing in myself and the abilities God gave me. I realized that a C on a test wouldn't affect anything but the way I studied for the next one.
2. I learned to laugh at my mistakes.
I laughed more this past year than I ever did in the eighteen years before I moved to Starkville. Which means yes, I made a lot of mistakes. College is the best kind of environment for mistakes. I've decided to try and get most of them out of the way during these next three years because it's not as easy to recover from them in "the real world" (or at least that's what those annoying people call it).
3. I made great friends.
At least for me, a majority of my high school friends weren't real friends. They didn't genuinely care about me, my family or my life. My best friend in college is one of the sweetest, funniest and most caring girls I've ever had the pleasure of doing life with. The two of us have literally been through it all and as a result, we have grown so close. I found that in college you'll get to know people on a level you never did before, and it's truly a blessing. I found not only a group to go out with on a Friday night, but a group who supports, loves, and cherishes me and my life.
4. I learned to get over it.
As much as I hate to admit it, I am a girly girl. When something goes wrong, I usually cry. When something goes right, I usually cry. So, in other words, yes, I can be one of those annoying divas that everyone hates, but you know what? Crying is a good thing (yes, even for boys, but if you're a boy don't admit it). Sometimes that's the only way to get over it. So when you're sitting in your English Comp II class and the teacher, who you already despise, assigns a paper that is completely irrelevant to everything and anything that has ever existed—don't just sit there. Start crying, and I mean sobbing. If your teacher doesn't immediately take back the assignment, at least you'll be over it and ready to write a five-page essay on ridiculousness. Start crying again when you turn in the paper a week later, and maybe he'll give you extra points (or maybe he'll start crying too and dismiss the class).
5. I lost money and candles.
And I mean serious money and serious candles. Something as simple as eating became debatable mostly because I didn't want to drop $12 on one meal alone. So, instead of eating, I would head to the store and buy a $15 candle, which of course got taken away by my RA forty-five seconds after I lit it. Textbooks, however, are what really freaked me out. The last "used" textbook I purchased was $190, and at the end of the semester, I sold it back to the bookstore for $10. I walked out of the store crying, but hey, at least I was over it and had an extra $10 in candle money
6. I realized it was just the beginning.
When I first moved to college, I was reminded of the insignificance of my own life in a world full of billions of other people. However, during my freshman year, I learned firsthand how influential a single life can be. Slowly but surely, I stared to get involved, choosing to diligently work as the responsibility and leadership was handed to me. I began to grasp the idea that yes, it was just the beginning. Freshman year and the opportunities it brought challenged me, gave me a purpose, made me feel alive. Even at the end of my first year, I feel as if it's really just the beginning. I appreciate knowing that I have a life ahead of me—one full of serving, leading, helping, loving, doing. A life full of beginnings.
Everyone has their own story, and yes, college is different for everyone. But as you walk across that stage, smile and wave at all those annoying people because they were right. Congratulations, my friend, this is just the beginning.
