Obviously, people go to college to learn, right? Well, they're supposed to at least...

Anyways... here are four things I've learned this semester that stray from the 'traditional' world of business management and organic chemistry classes.

1. Probable Insomnia

Between all the late night studying, various campus involvements, athletics, and sorority life, there isn’t much room for sleep. Napping is virtually impossible, and getting my full eight hours? Dream on. However, myself and many of my peers, I’m sure, have found out that a cancelled class makes for a good 50-minute snooze. If you planned on devoting 50-minutes or 75-minutes to a class anyway, why not catch some Z’s in the name of managerial accounting if the professor is so kind as to cancel!

2. Two Jobs

Hey this one isn’t so bad! Despite the never-ending cycle of stress that comes from school, practice, organizations, etc., college has blessed me with two-part time jobs that I absolutely love and feel as if I do well at. This is something that I cannot complain about when there are people all over struggling to find work to even get by. Although I have days when I wake up and wish I had nothing to do, I’m thankful to have been given the opportunities to work in two great places getting to do two great things that I love.

3. Mental Breakdowns

Every once and a while there comes a time where all you need to do is go lay face down on your pillow. I get that feeling almost every other day, and follow through maybe once every two weeks. But wait, you can’t do that because its only 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday. College is the Grand Central Station for mental breakdowns, and no matter how much you try to avoid one, it will hit you. Whether you want to scream, cry, or just let loose and say screw it all, find out how you deal with yours. However, don’t forget to calm down, take a few deep breaths, say a prayer, and then pick yourself back up again! Along with the help of amazing friends and family, of course.

4. Perspective

This semester has brought many challenges, new opportunities, and a few hardships along the way. Whether it be a loss in the family, some bad news from back home, or knowing that someone else is hurting and I can’t do anything about it. I’ve learned to look at things from different angles, and to try and understand what others are going through. I don’t know why some things happen the way they do but I’m slowly learning day by day; and taking it day by day is something I am learning to take in stride, considering I’m a huge planner. Each new challenge I face teaches me something new, and shows me what I can and cannot handle. The hardships I’m facing now are just preparing me for real-life once I graduate and they are teaching me how to handle myself in the face of all things! Perspective isn’t always a bad thing to have, and sometimes you don’t even realize you are gaining it.