College is a strange thing. It’s like this awesome playground we’ve been waiting our whole lives to enter. We crawled through elementary, dragged through middle school and flew through high school to come to this awesome place of freedom and new beginnings. But, just as with any new experience, there are things to see, places to be, stuff to do, mistakes to make and lessons to learn. College is a place of learning, and it acts as the catapult of life. After you spend your time here you are shot forward into life, completely on your own and expected to stay afloat. Although this place is an amazing experience, there is so much more under the covers.
College should teach you new perspectives, ones that will make your heart softer. College is supposed to help you see the things you ignored before. But for many of us, it takes a long while to see the magic of college in our lives. It’s important to realize a couple of things.
No one is forcing you to be here.
Yeah, I guess your parents could force you to attempt college but overall it’s your life and life comes with responsibilities. There are students who are here to have fun and nothing else, but college is meant to be a vital tool for success. If you realize that you’re here because you want to be, it will take you further than you could ever imagine in your academic success.
There is more to college than the parties.
Ooh, la, la, so exciting. Parents aren’t around to monitor your behavior, so it’s time to go crazy. A few parties here and there can be very fun, but alcohol should not be the first thing that comes to mind when hearing the word college. There are so many things that a campus has to offer, but when students choose to focus on the off-campus fun and nightlife, lots of the opportunities go to waste.
Forever friends are rare; be patient.
College throws you in a pool with thousands of other students, which can be a crazy and confusing experience. Some will feel lost and forget who they are, others will find their clique and stay there but some will stick to their values and end up finding the people that will be in their lives for all the important moments to come.
Explore the world of good deeds.
There is way more to life than finding a significant other and staying on top of social trends through social media. In order to fully develop yourself, you must be selfless and experience the magic of giving back, helping others, listening to people and being kind. You will not only benefit others, but benefit yourself as well. The intangible reward for having kindness will never leave you, and will radiate to others. It’s going to take a lot of kind people to change this world, so why wait? Start now.
This is the time for mistakes.
This is the age where it's OK to backtrack, no matter what society says. We are young; we are still developing and we are lost. If you need to change your major, don't freak out, just do it. If you feel unhappy, figure out a solution and do it no matter what. If your heart makes you ache for something different than what you're currently after, don't be afraid to stray away. You are you. No one else is going to live with the choices you make, so you do you.
These are only a few things that are important to realize in your early academic career. Stand tall, be yourself, have fun and work hard, and the magic of college will work wonders in your life.
