Now that it is officially summer, I can sit back, relax and reflect on my freshman year of college. It becomes a whole new world when you leave for school in August and have to take complete care of yourself. This is what helps everyone grow though and it helps you figure out things about yourself that you never seemed to realize before. Here are a few things I learned this past school year:
1. You don't always have to go out.
Yes, it's college. Yes, you want to have fun on the weekends, but this doesn't have to occur every single night of every single weekend. Sometimes it's nice to catch up on homework and just have a relaxing night with friends especially after a long, stressful week.
2. Just because you go out, does not mean you have to drink.
I can go out with my friends and have a great time while still remembering everything I did the next morning. Going to parties and watching other people make a fool of themselves can actually be quite entertaining. Just because you go out, does not mean you have to get wasted every time.
3. You have to study.
High school was honestly a breeze when it came to tests and quizzes that most of the time I didn't even have to study for them. This is completely false in college. If you do not prepare and study at least for a few hours, chances are you're going to fail that quiz or test. Heck, sometimes you even study for hours and still end up getting a bad grade. That's how college is.
4. You can not procrastinate as much as you did in high school.
I remember laying in bed and watching Netflix until around 8 o'clock at night in high school when I had homework still due the next day. In college, assignments are longer and harder, so if you decide to procrastinate, you'll basically be pulling an all-nighter or be screwed and decide not to finish your assignment, which means it will be counted late. Some professors don't even count late work, so just remember that as well.
5. You have to take care of yourself.
The past 19 years of your life, your parents and guardians were the ones taking care of you. Now, you're all alone. I mean you have your friends and everything, but they're not going to pick up after you like your mom would. They won't bring you breakfast in bed like your dad would (except maybe when you're sick). You are out in the real world now and even though they might be a phone call away does not mean your parents are going to come running to your rescue. This is especially true if you decided to go to a college somewhere farther away.
6. You need to make yourself happy.
Let's face it, you cannot please everyone. I recently found this out and my life has become so much better and happier because of it. College is the time where you learn who you truly are and you can't do this if you are constantly trying to please everyone around you. Friends will come and go and each one will bring something into your life whether it is just a lesson learned or a life-long friendship. Making yourself happy is the top priority because if you're not happy, it will be tough to get up every morning.
