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1. High school does not define your future.
Neither does your SAT score, class ranking, or GPA. Don't get me wrong, all of those things are important for college admissions, but it doesn't necessarily paint a road to success or failure for the rest of your life. Make the best of the doors that are open to you, and don't compare yourself to others.
2. High school is not the best four years of your life.
Unless you peaked in high school. you know it's true. Toxic competitive atmospheres in high school encourage cheating, discourage learning, and hurt character development. It's not really the best four years of your life when the pressure of college admissions is weighing on your little teenage back. Honestly, life is bigger than cliques and extracurricular identity. And come on, there's so much more of life to look forward to!
3. It's okay to not have a plan.
... and it's okay to change it. Deciding what you wanna do for the rest of your life is stressful, and most people don't have everything figured out either. You can always change your plans and try different things. There is beauty in uncertainty, and you have the freedom and privilege to decide where you want your life to take you.
4. Being independent is both awesome and scary.
There's a bittersweet feeling that comes with starting college. One one hand, having no parental supervision means finally being independent and having freedom which is very exciting. But being independent also means relying on yourself for the first time, which can feel pretty scary at first. But hey, you're one step closer to becoming an adult. With great power comes great responsibility.
5. Home-cooked meals are so underrated.
It may not happen to everyone, but gaining the "Freshman 15" is totally realistic. After being limited to eating microwave Ramen and Mac & Cheese, just thinking of real cooked food can make any desperate college kid's mouth water. Eating out is expensive, and it's impossible to really cook anything in a dorm.
6. Feeling lonely does not mean you are alone.
GiphyFeeling lonely is completely normal when you go to college, especially since you're usually on your own most of the time! Even if you feel alone, there are SO many people love and care about you!!! Make a list of people you love, your friends and family, to remind yourself to keep in touch with them. And college is a great place to reach out and join organizations, meet new people, and get that #networking.
7. You shouldn't be ashamed of needing tutoring.
It's the complete opposite! Honestly if you're out there trying to get that degree, tutoring is awesome and super helpful. The number of times I've seen people in my classes just give up instead of trying to get help, learn, and improve makes me sad. When things get hard, know that your effort will way off in the long run.
8. Not everything is black and white in politics.
I believe it is important to be aware of topics that affect our nation and be involved in our democracy. Sadly, most people are too preoccupied with their political identity and robust beliefs that they lose sight of what's important. Form your own opinions by asking questions and doing your research.
9. Spending money is a dangerously easy habit.
Honestly I never really learned how to manage money and I blame the education system. And my own spending habits. Spending money is way too easy and I need to stop.
10. The #FOMO is real.
... and social media is the culprit. When you have a highlight reel of everyone's lives in your pocket, it's impossible not to feel left out. It's honestly kinda problematic, but we all do it anyway. If it helps, just know that they're probably not having much more fun than you if they're on their phone too.
11. You are good enough.
You deserve love. You deserve to be happy. You're an amazing human being and you are good enough.
12. Hard work pays off.
GiphyHonestly, there's no feeling more gratifying than seeing the positive outcome of your hard work. If you set goals for yourself and do the most you WILL get that #bread.
13. Don't make mountains out of molehills.
There's a famous quote by Charles Swindoll that says, "life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it." If you react negatively to everything that happens to you, you won't see how good your life really is.
14. Nobody really knows what they're doing.
GiphyI think most of us were expecting to grow up and suddenly have the answer to every question. But frankly, the older I get the more we realize that even grown-up professional adults don't always know what they're doing.
15. It's okay to cry.
Crying can be your body's natural response to sadness, loss, stress, anger, or even joy. Don't beat yourself up for being emotional, it's human nature.
16. The best way to resolve conflict is to talk it out and hug it out.
If you have a problem with someone, the worst thing you can do is to bottle up your feelings and be passive aggressive towards others. The best way to move past a problem is to talk about each others feelings in a calm. super cheesy way.
17. For better or worse, your friends will change.
Change is the only thing that is constant in your life. Odds are, you probably won't be friends with the same people you grew up with. No only are you going to be friends with different people over time, but over time your friends themselves will change just like you.
18. Make sure you get enough food, water, and sleep.
Honestly, there's been so many times where I feel overwhelmingly stressed and overwhelmed. But I've found that 99% of the time, most of my problems are caused by just not getting enough sleep, not eating, or not being hydrated. So if you make sure you have all three of those you'll be okay coolio beans.
19. Your parents love you and want the best for you.
No matter what you do, your parents are going to love you unconditionally. They might get mad at you sometimes for making mistakes or breaking the rules, but at the end of the day they really do want the best for you.
20. Everything happens for a reason.
You're gonna have a much better time if you stop worrying about things that are out of your control. Know that you have a purpose and that you're here for a reason, whatever that may be for you.
