All my life I have been preparing for college. When I officially decided where I was going, I was flooded with advice from a variety of people. There was a mixture of advice and warnings, such as "college is way harder than high school" and "don't let your social life affect your academics."
I was appreciative of these words of wisdom because going off to college was foreign territory for me. I was terrified of not being able to balance it all: the partying, academics, internships, being Greek and trying to get even a little sleep here and there. I had no idea how to handle it.
I did okay at the balancing act my freshman year, with a lot of mini panic attacks and breakdowns. Going into my sophomore year, I was determined to do even better.
The first semester of my sophomore year, I took a class called Com 138. The goal of this class was to prepare you for what being a communication major entails. One of our assignments was to send in a quote that we live by in college.
Our professor picked a few that stood out to him and read them to the class, and one particular quote really hit me hard. Since hearing this quote, it has become one of my mottos and has really done wonders in helping me do college. The quote: "Sleep more than you study, study more than you party, and party often. Although we are here to get an education, don't forget to experience life."
Mind-blown right? I know I was. I think that this quote is a perfect representation of how to do college efficiently and have the most fun while doing it.
College is not all about education; It is a place to grow and learn about who you really are. It is a place to make mistakes and memories as much as possible. It is a place to make friendships that will last a lifetime.
College is not all about partying either. It is a place to find your passion, and a place that gives you the opportunity to learn about subjects you never considered before. College gives you the tools to be as successful in your field as possible, and it needs to be taken seriously.
When people were giving me advice about college, it made it seem like you couldn't do it all. There is sleep, partying, and studying and you can not fully do all three. One of the three will always lack and that was that.
This quote made me realize that you can do it all. You can be academically successful, party like it's 1985, and get an adequate amount of sleep. It is all about balancing and planning.
Being close to graduating and looking back, my college experience has been everything I always dreamed it would be. I have made the best memories, kept my grades up, and it is all thanks to the quote that changed my outlook.
College truly is the four best years of your life, and you really can do it all.
