College is all about learning, but not just learning from a textbook or lecture. Lessons on life, friendship, careers and anything else you can imagine, are hidden in every nook and cranny of your college experience.
As my journey as an undergraduate is coming close to an end, here are just 7 of the more important lessons that I think are worth sharing.
1. Not every single cool opportunity that comes your way needs to be taken.
College is a realm of abundant opportunities: clubs, committees, volunteer opportunities, research labs, mentorship programs, Greek life, and so much more. If you're anything like me, you'll be tempted to commit to them all. This is the best way to overcommit, be overwhelmed and flake out. Commit to fewer things, but the things that interest you the most.
2. Professors are your biggest resource.
Professors truly aren't given the credit they deserve. These individuals have tons of great advice, resources and connections. Speaking to professors outside of class will allow you the opportunity to encounter some of the coolest, most knowledgeable individuals on your college campus.
It was going to my Psychology Statistics professor's office hours that helped me get into a research lab. It also was definitely why I ended up with an A rather than an A-, multiple times. A shout-out to my high school Calculus teacher for passing down this golden piece of advice.
3. Don’t get caught up in what you think others expect of you.
During spring break, a lot of your friends are going to want to go somewhere warm and expensive. During winter break, some of your friends might want to go visit the Big Apple. But at the end of the day, if you think you would be better off studying for an exam, making money during holiday season, or just spending time with your mom in front of the TV, do exactly that. You know what you need better than anyone else.
4. While you’re growing, don’t forget that people around you are as well.
People change, and people grow. That's exactly what college is supposed to do. Each of your four years is and will bring upon some different change in you. But while you're changing and refining yourself, don't forget to recognize that others around you are doing the same.
No one starts and ends college off being the same person they came into college as.
Allow your friends the space to grow, and if your growth is in two separate directions, don't fault them. Don't blame anyone's growth for a lost friendship, because if you think they have changed, I can almost guarantee you have as well. Instead, appreciate the lessons their friendship taught you and cherish your memories together.
5. Things rarely go as planned.
Even those most confident about what they want to do as their career are allowed to change their minds. I was positive I wanted to be a dentist until midway through my junior year; now I'm looking into various Psychology graduate schools and graduating a semester early. You're allowed to change your mind and explore.
6. Take time for yourself.
Taking time for yourself doesn't have to include anything extravagant or expensive. It could simply be re-watching Friends, taking a long, lavender-scented bath, or simply catching up on some sleep. It is incredibly easy to get caught up in school, your job and extracurricular that you forget to take a second and breathe. But at the end of the day, you're only a young adult, and there are only so many days you can go with four hours of sleep.
7. You never stop growing.
In college, every time you think that you know who you are, you'll be proven wrong. You are constantly growing. You will grow through the ups and downs of the bumpy road that is college. And you'll have just as many negative experiences as you'll have positive. But the bad experiences will help you grow just as much as the good ones. You'll grow as an eighteen-year-old freshman and a twenty-one-year-old senior. The growing never stops. Just make sure you are willing to accept the change, in yourself and others.
And if you struggle to accept these changes, that's okay too, just be willing to respect them. Don't ever disregard how far you've come or how far you will go, because we're all going to go far in life. I can just tell.
Let your time as an undergraduate thrive. Allow yourself to fall, but grant yourself the grace to stand back up even taller. Take opportunities, make connections, and truly allow yourself the time, space, and patience to grow.
Before you know it, your four years, sometimes more and sometimes less, will truly be coming to a bittersweet end.
