However, the fear of taking too long to graduate, accumulating excess credit hours, and having your advisor give you "that look," can be strong discouragements, preventing you from truly following your heart. Luckily, I'm here to be that beaming ray of sunshine on a rainy day and prove to you that taking some classes outside of your major will not hurt, but actually extremely benefit you! College is the quintessential time to experiment with your tastes and explore your interests, and taking varying classes is the perfect way to 1) experience all that your school has to offer, 2) educate yourself on interesting subjects you wouldn't normally take the time and dedication to learn, and 3) meet amazing, new friends who are completely different from you.
Moral of the story: be a Leslie Knope in everything that you do.
I think I have a fair amount of merit to be able to speak on this subject. I am currently an International Business major, and along with my business core classes this spring, I am taking an Environmental Science Lab, an Honors Orchestra ensemble, and a Percussion Techniques course primarily taken by Music Education majors. Of course, when I tell people all of this, they look at me like I have two heads, but in all honesty I have no regrets.
The first day of lab class, I discovered that we will be taking trips to an on-campus Botanical Gardens to conduct hands-on field research on the biodiversity there, and I met two friends whom I have already gone out to eat with. Needless to say, their overall personalities are much different than that of my business major peers, and I for one appreciate the distinction and change of pace.
Me and them right before exchanging snapchats.
In the orchestra ensemble where I will be playing double bass, we are musicians of varying skill levels who just want to continue playing for fun. You can't fail if you suck, and you don't receive an A if you're a prodigy; in fact, there are no grades since it is a 0 credit course! We all have a say in what songs and genres we would like to perform, and we even get our own little performance at the end of the term. I can already tell that it's just going to be a good time.
Me trying to figure out my instrument again after not having it to play for eight months.
Lastly, I enrolled myself into a percussion techniques course to get better at my drum rudiments and skills, as I also play the drums. Living in the dorms, I've been having a hard time figuring out how to continue practicing the drums without, y'know, a drum set in my room. I'm sure my roommates, my floor, the entire building appreciates my decision to keep it all at home. My entire first semester was rather lacking in consistent music endeavors, so I made it a point to pursue music academically this semester, making me consistent and accountable for what I do and don't do. All I can say is that I'm beyond stoked to continue drumming once again.
Me. I am this dog.
If my schedule allows, I plan to take one class per semester that is solely for me and my personal self-growth. Last semester taking all business courses, I felt like I lost myself a bit and got too enveloped in my studies. I neglected my passions and my hobbies, and now I swear to myself to never do that again. If anyone else resonates with these words, go straight to your school's course catalog and start hunting for your undiscovered interests and captivations.
The bottom line: Take that class on human sexuality. Enroll yourself in an anthropology, criminology, or Africana studies lecture. Reinvent yourself through a weight-training class. Show up to that 1-credit music class/ensemble you shyly registered for (this one goes out to me - I almost chickened out!). I promise you, you will not regret your decision, and you'll be surprised to realize just how little you knew about the world prior to taking the class.
After earning that degree in whatever career field you chose to pursue, you'll inevitably reflect back on the classes that surprised you most, and I guarantee that at least some of those will be from outside your major.
20 Lessons I Learned Before I Turned 20
I have learned so much over these past 20 years, but I still have a long way to go.
Let's face it, turning 20 is a weird thing. You can drive at 16, you are a legal adult at 18 and you can drink at 21, so in the grand scheme of things, 20 is an insignificant age. However, when you turn 20, and that suffix of "teen" is no longer behind your age, it hits you. You're not a kid anymore. When you make mistakes at 20, people don't defend you anymore by saying, "Oh she's just young, she doesn't know any better." When you're 20, you are expected to have your shit together because you should have accumulated a vast amount of knowledge over these past 20 years, and let me tell you, that fucking sucks. But this is not a post of regret, this is a post of reflection. So please enjoy 20 years of lessons that I had no idea I was learning.
1. It's ok to make mistakes.
Hannah Montana said it best, "nobody's perfect." You're going to mess up so much in life, but you would never grow if you didn't make a mistake here and there.
2. Sometimes, you're going to be in the right, but when you are in the wrong, don't try to hide it or fight to prove your point. Just own that you were wrong and move on.
Being right 100% of the time is not only not natural, but not healthy. No one knows everything.
3. You have to fight for what you want, nothing is handed to you.
Working hard will get you so much further in life, so don't just sit around expecting good things to come your way.
4. Appreciate every day you have, whether good or bad.
You are still alive, you are still breathing. Those two things in and of themselves are the greatest blessings.
5. In bad situations, it's all about how you react.
You can make the best out of every situation, and nothing is ever past the point of fixing.
6. There's no weakness in asking for help.
If you try to take care of everything yourself, you will wind up exhausted and probably worse off then you were before. Asking for help is actually one the smartest and strongest things you can do.
7. Always be open to listening to other perspectives. Who knows, you could maybe learn something from them.
Every person you meet is going to have different experiences from you, so they must likely won't agree with you on everything. But just because they may not side with your point, doesn't mean you shouldn't listen to them.
8. When you are happy, don't look for reasons why you shouldn't be. Just be happy.
Don't keep looking for something bad coming around the corner, just enjoy being happy. Being comfortable in your happiness is one of the hardest things to do (trust me, I know), but it is so worth it in the end.
9. Take advice from those older than you, they do know a few things.
Whether it's your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, professors, or an old dude on the street, they have lived a lot more life than you, so they definitely have learned a few more lessons.
10. Life will throw curveballs at you, don't try to dodge them.
Curveballs and obstacles are a natural part of life, so don't try to dodge them, just handle them as they come at you.
11. Find something to be thankful for everyday.
Whether it is something trivial or major, there is always something out there to be thankful for.
12. If someone isn't treating you the way you deserve to be treated, leave them behind.
The sooner your recognize that you are being treated like shit, the sooner you can change things. Don't settle with being treated poorly, no one deserves that.
13. There is such a thing as luck, but it's not a given.
Luck comes to those deserving of it, so, basically, don't be an asshole.
14. Don't try to look like everybody else. Relish in what makes you unique.
If everybody looked and acted exactly the same, the world would be a pretty boring place. There's only one you in the world, so be awesome.
15. Having a few close friends is much better than having a lot of fake ones.
Your close friends will be there for you no matter what, so it is so essential to have those people who you know you could come to anytime, any day, anywhere.
16. Don't go looking for love, it will find you.
The age old saying, "Love will come when you least expect it" is so unbelievably true, so don't try to force it. If it's meant to be, it will be.
17. Do what you love, love what you do.
Find a job that makes you hop out of bed every morning, eager to face what the day will bring. You will be a whole lot happier in the long run.
18. Don't waste your time trying to get people to like you. The people who do like you will show it.
When you find people who truly love you for who you are, it all comes easily.
19. Trust your gut. You know when things are right and when they are wrong.
Intuition is a very powerful thing, so harness it. At the end of the day, no one knows you better than you know yourself.
20. I still have a lot to learn.
I cannot wait to see what more lessons the rest of my life will hold. Bring it on baby!