1. Friends Come and Go
Not everyone was made to stick by your side your entire life. You, and your life, are constantly changing; as well as the lives of those around you. Your friends will go off to do different things, and the next thing you know, you never see them again. And that's okay. That's life. Sometimes your friends will just turn their back on you. That's not okay, but that's still life. The friends that do stick with you, even if it's not physical, will always be there for you.
2. Your Best Friend Will Change As You Do
Again, you are constantly changing. This means you need someone different to be your best friend at different points in your life. Your past best friends will fall by the wayside, just become a close friend, or just change so drastically you don't know them anymore. Your best friends have their own lives to live. It's also okay to have multiple best friends. When you've struck a best friend, you'll know instantly, even if you're not intending on making a new friend.
3. People Will Always Be Fake
There are some people that will always be fake, flaky, or just downright suck. Sometimes, it can take a while before you notice it. Once you do, those people, if they're really damaging your life, need to be cut out. Those people are not good for your well-being. It's one thing to have a close friend who has a bad habit of canceling plans last minute. It's another thing when said friend cancels your plans last minute to make plans with someone else. When someone becomes untrustworthy, they can become toxic. Those toxic people have to be cut out.
4. No Matter What Chapter You're At In Your Life, The People You Knew In The Last Chapter Can And Will Be Replaced By New People
The jackass, the best friend, the tight-knit group, your friends who are just friends in a certain class, the crush, the
5. Girl Friends Can Be A Godsend
Now being in college, living with all girls, I have the most
6. Girls Can Also Be Really Mean
It's rare that girls are outwardly mean. Girls are mainly the sneaky kind of
7. Boys Are Stupid
Come at me with the "not all guys" comments. This is one thing I've learned: there are different types of stupid. Boys are the type of stupid that just can't take a hint no matter how blatant it is. I don't care if they were the valedictorian at an Ivy League; this type of stupid just seems to run through. I'm not saying girls can't be like this either; they most certainly can and I know some people who are. I just know that this is a trait mostly found in men.
8. But Some Boys Can Also Be Sweet
Guys can be great. Humor just seems to come naturally with a lot of them. Having guy friends are great, too, because you can share in their humor and their jokes. I've never been "one of the guys", but the guy friends in my life have been pretty good. They come and go, but I'm still glad they were there. More often than not they knew how to cheer me up when I was down. They're good at that.
9. Chocolate Will Always Be Your Best Friend
Always have a bar of Godiva or a pint of Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Therapy or Phish Food at the ready. After a long day, no one is going to judge you for putting on your sweatpants, watching reality television, and eating some sort of chocolate straight from the packaging. Frosting, Nutella, ice cream, cake, or just plain chocolate. Chocolate is a beautiful thing. If dogs are a man's best friend, then chocolate sure is a woman's best friend.
10. Becoming More And More Like Your Parents As You Get Older Is Inevitable
When you start enjoying their music. When you stay up to make sure your friends get home safe. When you do the grocery shopping. When you just feel like making brownies. When you are legitimately called the "mom friend". This will happen. Living at college, even though my family is a half hour away, you have to grow up and be more mature. Everyone does. It's at this point when you start to see yourself turn into your parents more when you realize you actually want a salad or you're low on milk or your roommate isn't feeling well so you get them ginger ale and Advil. It's not as weird as you once thought it would be.
11. Everyone Has Flaws, Even You
As you grow and continue to change, you learn from things your past self has done. You learn things about your old self that you didn't like. Nobody's perfect. "To err is human". The only thing you can do is to learn from your mistakes and the things you don't like about yourself. Not everyone is going to like you, but you shouldn't mold your new self to be one that is no longer you, yet one that all can get along with. That's an absurd goal, and it's fake. Once you're fake, no one will like you. It's okay to have flaws.
12. Stress Can Kill
I am naturally a stressed person. I am constantly stressing myself out because I am always running back and forth getting from one obligation to the next. I like to fill my time with things that are worthwhile. Stress is a silent killer. It can take tolls on your health in ways you would never expect, and it hits you out of nowhere; often all at once. Taking time to yourself is a good. It's healthy. Take some time to relax, unwind, and get your mind off things. Stressing does nobody any good. It only gives you a short fuse.
13. It's Okay To Dream More Of Your Career Than It Is To Dream Of Your Future Spouse
When you're passionate about your dreams, you work every possible second of your day in order to make your future the way you want it to be. I want to direct more than anything in the world. I know I am capable of getting there. Yes, one day, I would like to settle down, but first I want to get my life and my career to where I want it to be. If that means putting aside a future family for a bit, then, right now, I'll do it. My future, my career, my dreams are what I am focusing on.
14. College Is An Incredible Time In Your Life
Given that I'm a second-semester freshman, I have no right in saying that college is the best four years of your life. College is a privilege. It is a wonderful opportunity to create a new you, to begin anew, to start a career, and to start new friendships. I am so grateful for the chances and opportunities that I have been given since beginning college. I am very lucky that I've been surrounded by people that I'm sure will be friends of mine for the rest of my life. I have been able to start my career here. I have become a new version of myself that I am finally happy with and proud of.
15. Your Family Will Always Be There For You
No matter how far away you are, your family will always be there to welcome you home. Family has a different meaning for everyone; people don't have to be blood to be family. I call my family every day to let them know what happened that day and the things that I'm up to. It's something different every day and I think they enjoy listening to my college endeavors. They're always happy to see me when I come home and send me off with real food when I leave. I know they're always there for me, no matter what. I can tell them anything.
16. It's Okay To Put Yourself First
There's a line between being selfish and putting yourself first. There are some times when you just need to think of yourself and your life and what's best for you. Even if you are concerned about hurting others, if the situation calls for it, get yourself out. You do not need toxic people in your life. There are people who are emotionally and mentally damaging in ways that they don't realize. Those people are the reason you need to think about yourself. Your life and well-being is far more important than worrying about someone else's feelings (to an extent).
17. It's Okay To Re-Invent Yourself
If there are more things you don't like about yourself than things you do like about yourself, if there is a habit or a hobby you want to pick up, if there's a breakup you're going through, if there's a huge change in your life, you have every right to change yourself for the better. Evolution is natural; whether you take that physically, mentally, or emotionally is up to you. Become the you that makes you happy.
18. It's Okay To Be Nerdy
Become involved in a subject that has nothing to do with your overall goals. I love space. I'm a huge fan of astronomy. If I was actually completely capable at math, then astrophysics could've easily become a career for me. I'm a huge fan of Harry Potter and Star Trek. I'm allowed to enjoy fantasy and sci-fi franchises. I'm allowed to have merch. I'm allowed to be involved with things like that that make me happy. It's a fun thing, to be nerdy. It's a part of knowing pop culture, as well.
19. It's Okay To Be You, No Exceptions
“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” - Dr Seuss
There is no quote that can express this better. You are not replaceable. You are unique. There is no one quite like you. You are valued and loved, just the way you are. Don't let people make you feel like you are less than human, less than you. Be unapologetically you.
Cheers to 19 years.
