OK let's all be honest with each other -- college is definitely not college without finding a reason to go out and take a break from living in the library. With the amount of hours that some of us put into passing one test and keeping scholarships, we should have the ultimate right to let loose, judgement free, on a Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night. AMIRIGHT?!
Now don't get me wrong, college is also not college without working hard to achieve one goal: to graduate in four years with a bitchin' GPA while making connections and new experiences.
I came into college shy and nervous. I obeyed the rules and could name the number of events I attended on one hand and nothing is wrong with that, but if I wanted to get the most out of "the best four years of my life" changes had to be made. So I decided that if I did not take initiative to step out of my comfort zone now, I never would. So I signed up for sorority recruitment, attended every week of welcome event, tried to remove myself from my high school friends that attended college with me, and luckily had a very encouraging/supportive boyfriend who saw I needed this more than I did.
Two years later here I am. Living in my sorority house, attending more events than I can count on both hands and feet, meeting strangers who now mean the world to me, and learning to love and appreciate life every step of the way.
So here are my four reasons why I highly recommend you to start entering the social scene in college (if you haven't already) :
1. The more the merrier
We have all heard that term; you either love it or hate it. You should love it because no matter if you are at a tailgate, a philanthropy event, a social event, a dinner, or catching Pokemon, the more people that are around you the better the chance for you to meet people with the same common interest as you, or even better, different interests than you. College is all about trying new things and challenging your perspectives. So go ahead, get your name out there, be honest when you need to be, listen instead of speak, and above all be kind. You will be amazed at how far a simple, “Hello my name is…” could get you. People love other people who put effort in the little things. And who knows, you could meet your possible new bestie, boyfriend/girlfriend, or even potential bridesmaids.
2. You slowly but surely come out of your very comfortable comfort zone.
Deciding to come out of your comfort zone can be a beautiful and terrifying thing. You try new things you normally would not be doing a year ago. It took me two years to officially accept the fact that being in my comfort zone won't get me where I want to be. So make those small changes like sitting next to someone you don’t know in class, be the first one to start a conversation or start the first game of beer pong at a party, invite people instead of waiting to be invited, and even if it hurts, eliminate people out of your life if they are not satisfying your happiness. And remember Rome wasn't built in a day. Small steps are better than no steps.
3. You will learn more about yourself now than you ever have before.
Now this could be scary to some people but let me reassure you it’s the best thing that could of ever happened. New experiences come with new feelings; new feelings come with new ways on how you would deal with new circumstances, and new circumstances will bring you new experiences. It’s a cycle. You will learn if you can handle being around a huge number of people and enjoy yourself. You will learn what you are limited to and what people you can rely on. You will learn some new likes and some new dislikes. And you will learn that being yourself and accepting others is the best way to get by in life.
4. You will have a new appreciation for life.
As if we didn’t already know, life works in mysterious ways. You have people constantly leaving and entering your life. Everything happens for a reason. God will not place people and circumstances in your life that he thinks you cannot handle. Going out and spending some good quality time with some good quality people should be considered therapeutic. Be around people who make you feel like you are living. Find good people who make you smile, laugh, and cheer every weekend. Just remember: no matter how big that test is, no matter how stressful work is, no matter how much graduating scares the sh*t out of you, always remember life is what you make it, enjoy your college years while they last. The social scene is more than just drinking and partying. It’s about learning how to take a break from being so serious and taking full advantage of being young and stress free.
