When I was in high school, I think I hit my peak. I was in a varsity sport, several music ensembles, numerous clubs/committees and honor societies. I was just about a straight A student, and I was the ultimate teacher's pet– ironically one of the teacher's daughters. When the time to apply for college came, I made a check list of 12 colleges and was extremely organized. All of my applications were turned in by November of my senior year. I thought college was going to be just as successful as high school, but I didn't realize that college success for me would be very different. I decided to make a list of all the things I had realized didn't matter to me as much as they did back then.
1. Makeup is no longer a necessity of life
In fact, my face feels a lot better without it. In high school I was constantly running to the bathroom to check my foundation, and now I only wear it when I want to, not when I think I should.
2. CLUBS CLUBS INVOLVEMENT YAY
In college it's been a lot harder for me to find time to get involved because my schedule is all over the place. Some evenings I work, others I have night classes or other co-curricular activities. It's not so easy anymore to find time to do a varsity sport or join a club. It all depends on my schedule, and I'm okay with that. I figure if I really wanted to be in something, I would make it my immediate priority.
3. Being unique and standing out
In high school, I always felt that no one would see potential in me unless I was different from everyone else. That is still true in my life now, especially with searching for internships. There are so many unique people in the world who are just as qualified, if not more so than I am. Companies or firms are not going to beg me to intern for them just because I stand out. Even on the college campus, there are so many unique students, that I spend the energy I used to use in trying to be different on listening to the other students and appreciating their talents too.
4. Following all of the rules
As I went to a Catholic Private high school, I was used to following the rules. I was terrified to do anything mildly disobedient in case I would get in trouble or disappoint anyone. In college, there are still rules, but less of them. They don't tell you how to dress, and how to live your everyday life. That's the part you figure out. I felt lost at first without the rules, until I started to live by my own rules. (Nothing too crazy). I also met people who hadn't always had rules shoved down their throat like I had. They taught me the importance of questioning the rules and reflecting on what I really value.
5. Making people proud of me
I was always obsessed with making my parents and teachers proud of me in high school. I had to be a part of concerts, shows, sports, and have top-notch grades. In college, on the other hand, I live eight hours away from my parents, and they can't come see me perform just whenever. I learned that I have to make myself proud instead, and the things that make me proud are a lot different from what makes my parents proud. Instead I have become selective. I join groups because I really am interested in what they focus on, not because it'll "look good on my resume" and this, I find, gives me a lot of personal freedom and happiness.
