From a senior to freshmen: enjoy it all

Since I’m a senior (fortunately and unfortunately) and have been having every sort of mixed feeling about graduating in May, I decided it would be appropriate to blog about what advice senior me would give to freshmen me, as well as other newbies entering the college world. 4 years goes really fast (You won’t believe this until you’re beginning your senior year) and A LOT happens within those 4 years, so I could literally ramble on about what wise, intelligent senior Krissie would give to naïve, young, freshmen Krissie; but instead, I will just give my top 10. So, here goes:

 

1)      Not every moment in college is going to be that totally awesome, fun filled moment you see in the movies.

-You’re in college, you’re not in a movie that eliminates every experience that doesn’t glamorize the crazy party college scene. It’s OKAY to not feel overly ecstatic and happy all the time. One thing college has taught me is that you will be exposed to and experience literally every emotion in the book, good and bad. You will go from absolutely loving your life to questioning every aspect about it within a matter of seconds. You will feel sad, angry, self-conscious and fearful, and that is OKAY because although college is really fun and meant to be made the most of, we are still human beings living this rollercoaster of a ride I like to call life.

                2) You will obtain some of the best knowledge outside of the classroom.

-Some of the most valuable life lessons and life experiences I have learned and experienced were not in Calculus or Anthropology. They were from interacting with new people, making mistakes, traveling, being an idiotiotic college student, being a responsible college student, taking chances and having fun. Get your shit done, but don’t let a beautiful, unique experience pass you by in the meantime.

3) Go to class.

                - That being said, referring to point number 2, go to class. Go to the lecture of 100 plus people even though the professor doesn’t take attendance and puts up the lectures online. You can always get more out of the class by actually listening to the professor because there are many things he/she will say that may not be in the lesson plan. You can get to know your professor and his or her teaching style which will help you out in the long run. Above all, lectures are typically no longer than an hour, pull your lazy ass away from your bed and go.

4) Establish good, healthy habits while you’re young.

                - You may be able to maintain your slender physique now, but depending on when your metabolism decides to use the shitter, it WILL catch up to you. Living off of Ramen noodles and pizza bites can be a great thing and even a financial saver, but it is not a sustainable way of living. Once again, turn off the t.v. and hit the gym and limit the Ramen and pizza bites and replace them for a bag of frozen veggies more often.

5) If you don’t fit the mold, don’t try and force yourself to fit it.

                - Simply put, there are many things that you will be exposed to during college. People will drink themselves into oblivion, try many new drugs, and have lots of sex with random people. This does not have to be you. If this isn’t your scene, don’t allow it to be your scene. It’s just another pressure put on us by the media in what college “should” look like.

6) Try new things and embrace the uncomfortableness of them.

                - Study abroad in a foreign country, join a new club, go shooting with a friend at her hometown shooting range for a weekend; you will be offered to participate in many new and exciting adventures during the next four  years and it is all too easy to say no because it may be uncomfortable at first. Trust me, once you get past the uncomfortableness, these experiences will be some of the best you experience throughout college and allow you to bring a whole new ray of stories to the dinner table.

7) College does not give you an excuse to be a complete idiot.

                - Yes, make the most out of your college experience, but realize that the choices you make may have an impact on you for the rest of your life. STDs, a child, and a shitty legal record are things that will follow you forever. One night of fun is not worth a lifetime of consequences.

8) Learn how to manage your finances.

                - Once again, college is a safety net from the real world, but when you’re done, the real world is ruthless. Don’t spend these four years having mommy and daddy managing your bank account without having the slightest idea of how to pay your own bills, car insurance, or being ignorant with saving and managing your own money. College will end and the grip of mommy and daddy’s hands will loosen. Be prepared to go out on your own and understand the difference between the subsidized and unsubsidized student loans you will begin to pay off.

9) Accept that people will come and go out of your life.

                - People will constantly be entering and leaving your life depending on which phase of your life you are in. You will meet both awesome and not-so-awesome people, but regardless once they have fulfilled their purpose in your life, it will be time for them to move on. This can suck and be painful, but understand that with every exit, there will always be many new people to enter your life bringing you joy, stress, anger and happiness. There are 8 billion people on this earth, hell, give yourself the opportunity to meet them all.

10) No one knows what they’re doing with their life after college. Literally, no one.

                - So you’re a sophomore and you haven’t figured out your major OR it’s the day before graduation and you don’t have a job lined up, BIG deal. You’re not alone because everyone else is in the same boat shitting their pants. Remind yourself that you are only 20 some and that you have your whole life ahead of you to figure that out. You will have many experiences to live and shape you which will lead you to the life you are supposed to live. Stress, but don’t overstress about it.