Before starting college, I thought that it would be the best time of my life full of wild parties and crazy experiences. I was right in a way but at the same time, I was wrong because college brought me more than the parties and crazy nights. College also brought me friendships that were meaningful and eight lessons that would stick with me even after I walk across that stage soon.
1. Hookups usually do not end with a relationship
GiphyI had many instances where I resented the person I had hooked up with and it was because of the fact that I had expected them to actually be friends with me and get to know me as a person. My advice here is that if you truly want a relationship then its probably best to not give yourself up too easily.
2. Some people who you trusted before college will turn into people you can't trust
GiphyUnfortunately, college is a time when you will lose people that you thought you would keep in your life forever. It can be that high school friend or even a family member. Life has a way of teaching us that some people are not meant to stay with you forever.
3. You are responsible for yourself
GiphyBeing in college forces you to become independent of yourself. Fortunately for me a sense of independence was already instilled in me thanks to my rough upbringing. In college nobody is going to tell you to do your laundry, clean up, etc. Your teachers are not obligated to remind you about upcoming assignments or keep track of how many days of classes you missed. All of that is up to you
4. Some people will never change
GiphyYou can talk it out, cry, beg, whatever but some people won't change their actions even if their actions hurt you. At that point, it is up to you to either stay and deal with it or walk away and know that you are worth more than how they treat you
5. The most awesome people you meet will come from unexpected places
GiphyBest fiend #1: first saw him at a campus event as I was on my way to class. The next semester we started seeing each other around campus a lot and we even joined the same club together unexpectedly.
Best friend #2: Knew her in one of the clubs I was part of since freshman year. Sophomore year was when I was going through a rough time and every time she would see one of my dark Facebook posts she would always message me. We are still close to this day
6. You are not responsible for the happiness of others
GiphyI use to be the biggest people pleaser before college. Once I got into college, I realized that half of the things I was doing was because of other people. Another thing I learned is that nine times out of ten those people you do things for won't even appreciate you. Once I realize this I started to focus on my worth and what I want and needs.
7. You can still be good friends with someone without hanging out with them every day
GiphySo I got one best friend who I see at least twice every week and another best friend who I only get to see at least twice a month. What I had to learn was that people go through other things and sometimes they are too busy to think about you. This does not mean they will forget you but they just do not have the time for you. This lesson did nothing but make me cherish every moment I had with my best friends especially the one that I barely see.
8. It is not wrong to seek help...for anything
GiphyThe price that comes with being an independent person is the mindset that I do not need help, even if my grades were suffering. I had to learn in some hard ways that sometimes you just have to set your pride aside and admit that you do not know what you are doing.
There may be more things I may have learned along the way but these were the main lessons that helped me shape the way I think and act to this day. College life brought me happiness, excitement, tears of joy, tears of defeat, but most importantly college brought me a new kind of strength I could never imagine myself having.
