College has taught me a lot of things. I think there are lessons everyone can learn, apart from the ones you learn in a classroom or lecture hall. It's taught me how to effectively and not so effectively manage my time, how to make lasting friendships, to let go of ones and move on, and how to grow as a person in general. However, one of the most important things I think this experience has taught me is that it's okay to be alone sometimes.
Before college, I didn't really have an idea of what being truly alone felt like. Even if there weren't friends or classmates around, I came home to my family everyday. It's different once you start that experience of being away from home. You still have friends, classmates, roommates, and significant others, but at the end of the day, it's just you, and that can be a scary thought sometimes. But trust me, it's not always a bad thing.
There are going to be days or weekends when your friends are out of town or you have the weekend off from work. So what do you do with that time? Get to know yourself better. This might sound crazy. You might be thinking, "How do I not know myself?". I feel that deep down we all really know who we are, but it takes some time for the real, complete you to be present. What better way to get to know yourself than by being with just yourself?
You get to do the things YOU want to do. You can be super productive, take a drive or a walk, or lay in bed and watch movies. It's completely up to you. No matter what the activity is though, it helps you realize what you really enjoy doing, and allows you to be comfortable in your aloneness.
This kind of alone time can also be beneficial for the future. You can sit down and really think about your ambitions and goals, and you can set down all those ideas that have been swirling around in your head. In the busy lives that we all lead, it's sometimes nice to take a step back, and see what is truly important to us, and what things we should make a priority in our lives.
I'll admit, I really struggled with this idea for a long time. I thought being alone was terrible. I felt not only alone, but lonely, like I was missing out on some big thing that was happening. Everyone else seemed to be busy with more exciting things going on. Over time, I realized that there's always going to be that feeling of missing out. In reality, we all miss out on a lot of moments and opportunities. That doesn't mean that there isn't going to be more in the future, and that's something to definitely look forward to. So if you ever find yourself alone on a Friday night, don't get sad or discouraged. Take that opportunity, and make something of it. Go out and meet some new people, go to a new restaurant, see a movie, or stay home and pick up that book you've been meaning to read. Just because you are alone in that moment, doesn't mean it has to be a bad one.
