College is so much more than just getting a degree. Don't get me wrong, that is the purpose of college, but if all you get out of college is how to do well in your profession you wasted a good portion of the past four years. I'm going to pass down a piece of advice my grandfather told to my Dad and my Dad then passed down to my brother and me, "Don't let your books get in the way of your college education." In these 4 years you learn about life, who you are, and how to function on your own, it's the intermediate step before being thrown into the real world. Here's what I've learned so far:
1. If you wait until you're down to your last pair of underwear to do your laundry you are making a mistake and will eventually regret it.
2. How to accept that first failed test and adjust and learn how to do better.
3. No one's going to make you clean your room, your roommate may make some passive aggressive comments, but if you want to live in a pigsty then you will.
4. How to have a conversation when you're at a party and the music is entirely too loud.
5. Ordering a pizza and watching Netflix is a very good cure for almost anything that gets you down, just don't make it a habit.
6. How little you appreciated having your own room.
7. Quality over quantity of friends.
8. How to manage time, you have a test in two days, sorority obligations, homework, and your friends want you to go out. If you want to do all these things the nap must be sacrificed.
10. Working out is a necessity for your physical and mental health. Make time.
11. All-nighters are never going to be effective, but you'll learn how to do them anyway.
12. How to handle outside stresses without letting it affect your grades. This isn't high school anymore, these grades determine your future. It's not worth it to let a relationship come in between this.
13. It's so important to surround yourself with people that strive to be their best. Who you associate with says a lot about you.
14. How much you took advantage of everything your parents did for you.
15. The freshman 15 is oh so real.
16. The freshman 15 is completely preventable, it just takes work, and self-control.
17. How delicious Taco Bell is. Especially at 2 AM.
18. 8 AM classes suck. It doesn't matter that you did it all of high school.
19. Going out on a Thursday is generally a mistake.
20. It's possible to be too lazy to wear leggings. Those are the days that require sweatpants.
21. It is very important to always knock on your roommates door before going in. You'll save yourself some awkward situations.
22. All the best events have "Free T-shirts" or "Free Food".
23. Some friends aren't going to be your life-long friends, that's okay. They're still important.
24. Being in college means you actually have to learn how to take care of yourself when you're sick. No parent there to coddle you and make chicken noodle soup and bring you Advil. Growing up sucks.
25. How to have school spirit, when you feel a part of something you're more likely to be happier.
26. The importance of getting to know your professor.
27. How to tolerate the many different types of people you'll meet in college, and respect your differences.
28. How important it is to be able to be friends with your roommate.
29. How to try new things.
30. Home-cooking has majestic healing properties. Being home, in general, does. A weekend home and I am a much happier, and less hungry individual.
31. Figuring out who you are. One of the greatest challenges and most important things you'll do in college is getting to know yourself, and finding out there is a lot more to you than you thought.
