While I am grateful for the legal, sociological, political science, urban studies, and philosophical knowledge I have gained, the most important things I learned in college were outside of the classroom.
Here is an amalgam of what I really learned in college:
- Time management and proper planning makes the “impossible”, possible
- Invest in experiences, not material items
- Organization contributes to inner peace and outer calm
- Take time to take deep breaths, look around, and appreciate the phase of life you are in
- Don’t neglect your physical health
- Three essentials: a good quality backpack, lunch bag, and reusable water bottle
- Get a head start on assignments, study guides, and projects (you’ll thank yourself later)
- You can make an excuse, or you can start doing something about your situation
- You can learn a lot from part-time, service industry jobs
- Networking and building relationships with peers and professors is beneficial
- Mental health is more important than any assignment or exam
- Your thoughts about circumstances cause your feelings, and you have more control over them than you may think
- If you feel stressed and overexerted, write out everything clouding your mind then a solution (or neutral thought) towards each
- Try new things, anything from a yoga class to a new cuisine can be exciting (and worthwhile)
- Do a few internships, test the waters, and see what sparks your interest
- Comparison truly is the thief of joy, so be proud of your journey
- Be open to any and all feedback
- Have zero expectations…about everything
- Make time to travel
- Sometimes the “worst” thing that can happen can teach you a lot and end up being the best thing that could have happened to you
- It can be easy to think about the future, but enjoy the present…the process is every thing
- Happiness starts with you, no external circumstance will make you happier unless you are already happy with yourself
- Reject the illusion of perfectionism
- Finding a creative outlet can be therapeutic
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help, whether it’s in office hours with a professor or a session with a counselor
- Have a bunch of creative post-grad ideas (gap year, employment, grad school, travel, volunteering, etc.)
- Allow yourself to be excited about things
- One day, you’ll miss the hustle and bustle of college student life
