As an upcoming senior, I have been reminiscing on many of the crucial lessons I’ve learned the last three years. These were not concepts read in a textbook, copied in a notebook, or spoken by a professor. These are the life lessons that I continue to learn through many trial and error processes that will follow me wherever I end up in life.
Not knowing what you want is allowed.
No. I’m not talking about what you want for dinner. I’m talking about what you want out of your life, where you want to be, who you want to become. It is perfectly acceptable to be confused about your future.
College is a time where you are thrown into a great deal of independence and responsibility rapidly. Where you are expected to absorb an abundance of information that will, hopefully, lead you down a career path and to a job. The majority of students, however, struggle to find that one thing they are good at or passionate about, let alone both. Sometimes those things can be in two completely separate fields.
Relax, take your time, and concentrate because it will come to you sooner or later. You don’t need to know right away.
There is always going to be someone better than you.
When you were a child, I’m sure you had a parent or teacher tell you that there would always be someone better, faster, stronger or smarter than you. Hate to break it to you, but that’s 100% true. Learn to accept it or you won’t get very far. Take the opportunity to learn something from these people, but don't get down on yourself that you aren't "as good" as them. See what you can do to improve and how you can take yourself to the next level.
Put yourself out there.
Go out of your way to speak to people. Make new friends. Be as social as you possibly can and don’t just do this with people you're comfortable with. Spread yourself to new horizons with different people. In the long run, it will teach you to be personable and how to network.
Don’t be afraid to work with someone new in class or ask the professor a question. Most likely, that classmate is just as shy as you and was mustering up the courage to ask to work with you as well. As for the professor? His job is to help you and answer any questions you have to help you understand the material. If you don’t feel confident enough to ask during class, approach him after class, send him an e-mail, or best of all, go to office hours!
Try something new.
Take a step out of your comfort zone and try something that scares you a little bit. Whether it be raising your hand in a lecture, talking to someone new in the dining hall, trying a new food, or joining a club that you’ve always had a slight interest in. Do it! You won’t regret it. It could help you discover a little more about yourself that you might not know without going that extra mile.
Don’t be so hard on yourself all the time.
It’s human nature to get down on yourself for failing or being wrong. Lighten up! You only live once (yes, I just said YOLO). Be serious when it’s necessary, but learn to compliment yourself on a job well done. Make the most out of situations and try to make them as fun as possible. Be proud of your accomplishments no matter how large or small they might be.
Being afraid is acceptable.
It’s pretty funny actually, our society is afraid of having fears. We think that by being afraid, we are lesser than others, which sets us back from that “perfection” we all strive for. Well guess what? Fear is a good thing! Being scared means we aren’t these emotionless robots that are obsessed with technology and being perfect at everything. We grow from mistakes, failures, and successes. There is no need to run from imperfection. Embrace it! It’s what makes us all stand out from one another.
By no means are any of these lessons easy to incorporate into every second of every day. They are all incredibly frustrating, make-you-want-to-pull-your-hair out-of-your-head concepts, but if you try to work with them, it will help make a happier you.
