College is supposed to be a time filled with learning and self-growth. And when I say self-growth, I mean the growth of one’s mind, body and soul. Of course, college is designed for students to gain an education while expanding their assumptions of the world, but it’s also a place meant for students to explore their interests and experience life beyond their high school years.
Sometimes it’s hard to remember that college is so much more than earning perfect grades or impressing professors within the classroom. Since we’re so caught up with the letters and numbers scribbled at the top of our assignments, we tend to devalue the learning experiences we have outside of the classroom because we don’t feel as if we’re actually working towards a specific grade. Honestly, I wish I would have approached college a bit differently.
As a college senior, I’ve had the opportunity to mature as an individual in an environment that has challenged me to view society through different lenses. I often refer to my college experience because I feel as if I’ve learned so much about myself over the past few years. So what would I have done differently? Well, I certainly wish I would have…
- Spent less time studying and more time socializing.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m extremely proud of my academic achievements. I think every college student knows how difficult it is to succeed in the classroom when you have a million other things going on in your life. But I wish I would have encouraged myself to quit the books and hit the social scene more often. Spending quality time with your friends can be an extremely rejuvenating experience. Sometimes all it takes is one movie night or one extended shopping trip to pull us out of our daily slump. And sometimes, friendly faces are just better to stare at than lousy textbooks.
- Taken advantage of those office hours.
If professors are willing to share their valuable time with us, then we should feel obligated to hear what they have to say. I rarely spoke with my professors outside of the classroom because I never felt like I had a good reason to stop by and chat with them. But over the years, I’ve realized that professors don’t always expect you to have your shit together. Although they’re more than willing to talk with you about your writing assignments, they’re even more eager to hear about your future plans. Professors are incredible people with a whole bunch of life experience, so why shouldn’t we listen to any and all advice they might have to offer?
- Gotten involved earlier.
Sure, I’ve had plenty of time to find the clubs and organizations that fit my personality, but I wish I would have been more willing to try new things as a college freshman. To be honest, I was scared and shy and extremely introverted (and I still am in some respect). But now that I’ve become more comfortable in college and more confident in myself, I’ve realized that there are a ton of really awesome clubs that I overlooked because I didn’t force myself to meet new people or discover new things. As a college freshman, it’s understandable to have some reservations about college life. However, by getting involved on campus, you have the opportunity to learn all about the different ways you can spend your extra time outside of class. And usually, these are the times that students enjoy the most.
- Reminded myself that everyone's a weirdo.
Everyone has their random quirks, and whether they admit it or not, everyone is actually really weird in their own way. Take me for example. I’m super awkward in social situations. Like so awkward that it’s almost painful to watch. Instead of worrying about how others perceive our random quirks or weird habits, though, we should constantly remind ourselves that we’re all in this together (cue the High School Musical soundtrack). Everyone’s a little weird and everyone’s a little crazy, but that just makes life so much more interesting. So forget all the haters and enjoy life your own way. I mean, come on. That’s really the only way to do it.
