As the semester comes to an end, we are asked to fill out evaluations and write reflection papers about what we learned through the course. Now these can be snarky, "I learned that I suck at poetry and can't speak English;" understanding, "With everything going on this semester, I was surprised by how well this class went;" or actually helpful, "I think moving the assignment towards the beginning of the semester would be more helpful." While we are filling out these reflections, we also need to take time to reflect on the things that we never could have learned in a classroom.
1. Sleep is for the weak, but if you go 72 hours of more without it, you will cause brain damage.
All-nighters sort out the strong from the weak. It also helps your figure out who the procrastinators are. I have easily pulled forty-eight and fifty-two hours days simply because I have to get my work done. I know I should have budgeted my time better, but, honestly, I needed to go out or needed that extra shift. Sleep is needed but so are deadlines
With that being said, if your friends go longer than three days, they can actually cause brain damaged. That can be seen when they start laughing at walls, or crying because they broke their pencil's tip. This is not some random piece of information I think I ever would have learned if not for senior research. Sleep, again, is needed.
2. A blanket is normal to bring to class.
I swear these aren't all about sleep. However, if you plan on sleeping, you have to do it smart. Bringing a blanket to class is not strange in the slightest, especially during exam weeks. In fact, people may even ask to steal your blankets as they slowly realize they too are falling victim to Mr. Sandman. You get all the extra bonus points if you also wear your pj's to class on blanket days as well.
3. Your friends will still be your friends even if you don't talk to them.
This is college, you are doing your own thing and they are doing these. You will not always be able to see them every single day, or talk to them all the time. But when you send them a text saying, "Man I hate this professor" they will respond just as if you never stopped talking to begin with. They will understand that sometimes you have bad weeks, and because of such will treat everyone around terrible. They will let act like this until a certain point and then smack some sense back into you.
4. Some friends are terrible.
Some friends will not understand this. They will need you to care about every little thing they do, or talk to them all the time. They will not understand that you have homework to do, or a job you can't be late for. These friends are toxic, and while you may still think they are awesome, and while you still may care for them, you need to drop them. If they drop you, let it be.
5. Your teachers can dislike the administration just as much as you do.
Think of the administration as their boss. No one likes their boss. This is your common ground. If you want to change something, or have a question about something is done the way it is, go talk to them. Chances are, they also want things changed, and will help you fix them.
6. Your teachers also don't want to be in class at 8:30 in the morning or for that one afternoon class they have.
Teachers have lives, which I know is insane to think about. While you hated writing that 10 paged paper, think about the fact that they now have to read those 10 pages on top of however many students are in your class. Teachers pull all nighters too, and they do not want to be in that 8:30 class after reading all your work. Nor do they want to be in the classroom when it is only for an hour in the middle of the damn day. Who would? Teachers are more like students then anyone realizes.
7. If you are nice to the staff and food service workers, they will help you.
I cannot stress this enough, and that is probably because I worked for the food service on campus, but the saying of "You catch more flies with honey" is extremely true. Don't come up to the staff with some attitude and then expect them to drop everything they are doing to cater to you. The same way if you approach the food services workers with some "higher than God" attitude I will not go out of my way to help you.
8. Joining a multitude of clubs will not help you
I know we are told from day one that we need to be active in a lot of stuff, because future employers care about the clubs and volunteer experiences we took part in while at college. While I believe this to be partially true, I believe they will care more about you GPA. Sure it is great if you were a part of five clubs, in Greek Life, and read to children at schools, but your GPA is tanked at 2.1 and you have some serious addiction to coffee. Join at max three clubs, and that is only if you are not a part of Greek Life or have a job. Trust me, your brain cells will thank you, as well as your GPA.
9. None of this will seem real until the day after graduation
When you are done with your last exam, you will not realize that you have just finished your undergraduate career. It probably won't even registrar when you are packing and cleaning your room. It still won't full hit you when you are decorating your cap with some design you found on the internet. It will finally hit you when you walking through the crowds of cheering families and friends, and then you hear yours. You see your small section of peoples and they are cheering your names, screaming that they love you. That is when you will realize that this is kind of a big deal.
The next day, when the celebration ends, and you are leaving campus for the last time, it will finally sink in just how big of a deal this is. Four years, thousands of dollars, countless memories all in this one place all for a piece of paper that says you are ready for the "real world". And then you be left crying in your car.
Thank you, Stetson University and Edison State (now Florida Southwestern) for teaching me so much more than what was in the textbooks. As much as I hated you both at times, I will always be grateful for the experiences and lessons I learned.
