The moment my phone disconnected from my earbuds which were playing Parachute's "White Dress" was a blur. I watched my iPhone 7 slip onto the door of the trash chute and plummet down from the 10th floor of my dorm, along with a mixture of Ramen and candy wrappers. Logically, I screamed. I dropped what I had in my hands and I screamed like my life was ending. Even though that moment felt awful, there were some important lessons I learned from this experience:

1. Look up from your phone every now and then.

Before the incident, I constantly looked at my phone. Even mid-conversation, I'd pick up my phone and send a text. This incident forced me to not have a phone for an entire day, so all of my interaction was either over Facebook messenger or face-to-face. I couldn't hide in my screen anymore when I was with my friends. It was quite pleasant; paying attention to people was nice.

2. The more you panic in tough situations, the less useful you are.

I panicked like crazy after I dropped my phone. When I went to submit a work order to retrieve the phone, I was hyperventilating. I quickly learned that the more you panic, the less helpful you are. When they asked what color my phone case was, I couldn't even answer the question! Staying calm is key.

3. Life has its ups and downs.

Losing my phone was a total "down" for me. However, later that night, not only did I receive a present, but I got elected to the director of my committee for a club I'm involved with. Good and bad things happen because life is one big balancing act.

4. You have to pay for your mistakes.

I literally paid for my mistake. I paid $220 to turn in my broken phone and get an upgrade to an iPhone 8. When you make mistakes, you will have to make up for them. It stinks, but it also reinforces the message of not repeating said mistakes.

5. In tough situations, those who truly care about you will show that they do.

Honestly, I was shocked at the number of people who offered to drive me to a phone store, or the people who at least cared and kept me distracted that evening. It hurt to see the people who really didn't care at all, but rough situations show those who are truly there for you!

Dropping my phone down a trash chute was embarrassing and stressful, but I fixed my mistake, and I learned something from this downright hilarious shortcoming of mine.