Being a college student can be extremely stressful, and I'm not just talking about the school work or the homework load. College can be difficult for lots of different reasons.
As a college student in my junior year, I've come across situations where big choices needed to be made, friendships that either weren't worth it or were worth the world and have even been caught up in financial situations that could very well have put me out of college.
Thankfully, I am where I am today, and am grateful for what I've accomplished and what's left to be accomplished. There are 5 main things that I've learned about my 3 years in college thus far.
1. Not all friendships are worth your trouble.
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Since before my freshman year, I began to meet and come across lots of other classmates that were going to be a part of my graduating class. The rightful and smart thing to do would be to make friends, right?
That would make it better and more bearable, especially those long class lectures.
Honestly, not really. I've made friends since that time who I no longer am in touch with. I discovered quickly who was real, who was fake, and who just wanted to take advantage of me. The thing I've taken away from this is that if I detect anything like this at any time in a new friendship, just not to put myself through any of it and just duck out and run.
Distancing myself keeps me out of drama but also rids me of the toxicity of these friendships.
2. Keep your family close.
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Since in my current situation, I don't get to see my parents often, it's so important that I keep in touch with them. Sometimes, I feel like there's so much I'm missing out on.
My mother's birthday just passed and I couldn't be home for it. Even though I'll be visiting in the next few days, I still wish I could have been there to celebrate her the actual day that it fell on. They want to visit home and see my family has grown since I started college a few years ago, ironically, the opposite of what I expected to happen.
But they're always there for me, and I want to be there for them too.
3. Depend only on yourself.
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I love my friends dearly and love to hangout with them inside or outside of college. Making plans can be a hassle though. Planning to meet up to study, plans to catch up, and plans to go out and do something together can be a flaky situation in a friendship.
I've learned to understand that things come up and that sh*t happens. People won't always be able to follow through. Whether or not people hold grudges for those types of things are up to them. To each their own.
4. Academics come first.
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College is made to prepare students for careers. If this is for your career, don't mess around with it. Put what you're studying before anything else because the work pays off. If not though, then have fun paying your school loans off and it getting you nowhere. It's worth it - so just do it.
5. Listening gets harder, but is so worth it.
This point goes slightly with the fact that academics come first, but it can be exercised outside of school as well. Listening well in class yields decent grades and will undoubtedly help someone on their exams and classwork. Outside of the classroom, it's important to listen to people.
Sometimes, I'm all that some of my friends have, and no one else will listen to them or want to help them. Shutting up and listening has never been more useful. Listening, precisely, will make someone feel better that I'm hearing them out. Even if I don't provide feedback, it doesn't matter.
At least I listened and let it absorb into my head. Most of the time, I'll have feedback or advice - it's just what I do and how I feel I should respond.
I still have a ways to go in my college career as I do plan, as of now, to go to graduate school for my B.A. in Journalism on a Digital Arts track. As I continue to learn from things that happen, I'll be able to see things from different angles and be open to lots of opportunities.
