As my first year of college comes to a rapid end, I’ve found myself reflecting on how I’ve matured in some areas and remained immature in others.
In recent weeks, I’ve gone from giving myself pats on the back for mentally growing over the past months, to bashing myself for some not-so-little mistakes.
Ultimately, what I’ve realized is freshman year of college is a learning lesson, I would go as far as to say that it was the most important lesson I’ve had all year, classes included.
Therefore, with my newfound wisdom, I have decided to share my top eight lessons.
1. Within just the first few weeks of living with your roommates, your true pet peeves will come out. You’ll learn that you’re not much of a sharer and that respecting personal space is a prerequisite for future roommates.
2. You’ll come to realize that you’re more resilient than you thought and that your subconscious refuses to let you be walked all over.
3. Family, loved ones, friends from back home, are more important than you may realize. Whether or not you have all three, or just one or two, you’ll come to appreciate them much more. You’ll finally understand how good you had it.
4. By living with others your flaws will come to light. Perhaps you’re a bit too snippy at times, others will notice, and have no problem pointing it out to you. You’ll learn to take the criticism and learn from it or ignore it and hope for the best. (I vouch for the first option!)
5. Not to put it lightly, but sleep is for the weak. If you didn’t pull all-nighters in high school, back to back, then you have a rude awakening coming for you. At some point, you’ll go multiple days without sleep, and reminisce on the good ol’ days of sleeping in.
6. Despite that, however, you’ll come to see that even though you woke up at 6:30 in the morning for 12 years, you’ll barely be able to make it to your 10:40 class. Even worse, you’ll struggle to wake up for your 12:15.
7. Those kids in high school you worried about 24/7? Well, they’ll be the last things on your mind, if they’re even on your mind. Suddenly you’ll care less and less about them and more about the new friends you’ve made and their lives.
8. More than anything freshman year will force you to learn how to manage your money. In college suddenly everything is expensive, even something properly priced. You’ll learn not to go online shopping just for the fun of it.
Although I listed only eight lessons, college, in general, is full of a million more. College will bring you highs and lows, and at times it will feel as if there are more lows and highs. However, at the end of the day, it’s an experience like no other. It slowly shapes you to become the person, you’re truly meant to be.
