Growing up, we've all heard the phrase, "build a bridge and get over it." As we got older, we heard "it's just water under the bridge." You really don't know what that means until something happens you have to move on from. Moving on is one of the hardest things someone can do. Forgive, forget etc., you have to have a lot of strength to be able to do that.
College is rough. College can genuinely suck. Life happens and people change. And in college, one of the things we learn is we have to let negatives go. Going into college, we think life is great. We entered thinking we had the best friends we're ever going to have and thought you and your boyfriend were the best thing in the world too.
Holding on to the past hinders your ability to enjoy the future. Yeah, maybe you and your high school boyfriend or best friend were great back in the day but now you may be completely different people. That's okay because you've made so many more amazing friends in college. You have to stop comparing your past or you're never going to advance in the future. Looking back at the people not as relevant in your life you have to realize at one point you were right for each other, but not at this point in time anymore.
Freeing yourself from the past is difficult because it is so easy to hold onto those good old memories. It's better to look back and remember how something made you happy verses focusing on the negative and feel sad. Letting go is challenging. But, that the one thing you can hang on to is the memories because sometimes that's all you have and you should appreciate them rather than letting whatever happened make you stay bitter.
You're gonna fail some tests, gain that great freshman 15 that keeps coming back, get your heart broken, get sick at the worst possible times, crack your iPhone multiple times, maybe have a couple bad hangovers but so what?
College is rough. But college can be the best days of your life. Here's another great quote we heard when we were younger, "When one door closes two more open." I can't even begin to say how grateful I am for the good friends I have made at school. They make going through hardships so much easier and make it easy to be strong. Also, I feel like every time my world feels upside down something else starts to work out that I didn't expect to. Being able to focus on the positives and eliminate the negatives is important in moving on.
It's OK to be sad when everything does go wrong. I can't count the amount of times I've cried or seen someone else crying in the library since I've gotten to school. Find a way to deal with whatever you're going through. It could be talking about it with someone, going on a run (all of a sudden I started doing this- and I hate running), binge watch a whole TV series, eat a dozen cookies, go shopping, write in a journal, find something that will help you move on. Because it's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of day to day "dramatic experiences."
You are ultimately in charge of your own happiness. College is about new experiences and learning who you are. You have to realize who you are as a person and sometimes you have to eliminate those holding you back. Piece yourself together, but learn from the past in order to grow up.
