College is complicated and stressful for a lot of different reasons. Whether you’re juggling academics, athletics, relationships or trying to juggle it all, there will be bumps along the way. Sometimes finding yourself and taking responsibility for yourself are the hardest parts of being a college student. One night I lose my student ID and the next I’m losing my shit because I have three assignments and an exam all for the next day. No one ever said college was easy, but we all need to remember that we aren't superhumans. We are young and have our whole lives ahead of us. If not here, in college, that does not mean not ever. Don't stress yourself out and enjoy your "college experience".
I write to all the students who, whether you are a freshman or a senior, feel lost and overwhelmed because you don’t know what you want in life. I write to all the students who, whether you are a freshman or senior, feel lonely and disconnected because you are hours away from home and you’re missing your friends and family from back home. I write to all the students who, whether you are a freshman or a senior, feel tied down financially because between paying for school and trying to feed yourself three times a day, you find yourself eating leftovers, not being able to spoil yourself every once in a while or not being able to take advantage of these college years to study and travel abroad.
As a college student, we are at that stage in our life where we are expected to have our shit together; we are expected to have our future job all lined up for us right out of college, keep a part-time job during the school year to start paying for student loans now so we aren’t drowning in them post-graduation, and to be dating our future spouse all while we are expected to maintain a 4.0 GPA… but that’s not entirely true. If not here, if not at the college you are attending, if not within the four or so years you are attending college, then that is fine. Not here. Not now… But not here and not now does not mean not ever.
If you don’t know what you want to major in or you simply don’t know what you want to be doing for the rest of your life, it’s okay. If you’re having relationship issues or you haven’t found that one person you’re going to spend the rest of your life with, it’s okay. If you can’t study abroad for one reason or another while you’re in college, it’s okay. If you need a break from college for one reason or another, it’s okay.
Everyone says that you only experience “the college experience” once so make the best out of it. I agree that you should make the best out of your college experience, but this “college experience” isn’t limited to that one perfect college or limited to those four or so years you are attending college. Now when I refer to “college experience”, I mean the opportunities college offers education, personal growth opportunities, self-discovery, connections, going and studying abroad opportunities, etc. Please take advantage of your “college experience”. Please make what you’re paying for tuition worth it. But don’t feel pressured to do it all. Don’t feel pressured to have everything done, decided and finalized; whether it's getting your future job lined up, making those close and steady relationships or trying to travel abroad while in college, don’t feel pressured to have all that straightened out or done. Of course, it's always great to have that done and out of the way, but there is absolutely no rush. You have your whole life ahead of you. Granite “life is short”, but don’t stress yourself out trying to do it all. Enjoy life. Take advantage of what you can. Work with what you can control and do. As hard as it is to do some (a lot of the) times, stop worrying about what you can’t do now. Remember not here and not now, does not mean not ever.
