It has been a long time since I posted. So long, in fact, that I have a hard time relating to the person I was in the last few posts. I felt that I should return, at this point in my college career, and write something because if this many changes can happen in such a short time, tonight is the only chance I have to write this as exactly who I am today.
For lack of a better writing plan and due to the late hour, I am going to write this in the form of a list. Now, without further ado, here are 6 things I've learned in just 6 more months of this crazy beautiful thing called college.
1) Fake it till you make it.
Yes, this sounds terrible on first read. I assure you, don't take this advice as it comes. When it comes down to it, though, it's really all you can do at first. At 20, you've finally reached the point where your career and responsibilities seem to be creeping in. It's exciting, new, fresh, but also the most uncomfortable thing in the universe. Take this opportunity to put your feelers out. Be a leader. Be who you want to be. It'll feel different, but it's supposed to. If you don't set the foundation for what you will be now, you'll find yourself stuck in 20 years.
2) Choose friends who are equals, who aren't judgmental, and who understand time constraints.
This doesn't mean stop being friends with the people you know who don't exactly fit this category. Every friend is wonderful in their own way and has a purpose. As you make new friends, though, seek out those who are in the same place as you, who let you experiment with who you are, and who never make you feel like you can't do. Also, friends should understand that being 20 means never having more than 20 minutes of free time. You'll see each other when you see each other and cherish those laughs, late night conversations, weekend visits, and funny texts forever.
3) Let yourself feel.
As you start to enter a world that's different, you will find yourself needing to be mature, professional, and an adult. It's your last chance to feel young. Dye your hair blue one last time. Act like a kid when you can. Get that tattoo!! Cry your eyes out about lost friends, rant about bad situations, laugh like crazy when it's called for, appreciate silence for once. If you haven't figured it out yet, yourself is all you can be. Let it happen.
4) Have an open mind.
Don't be so set in your ways that you never see what's out there. Every single person on this earth was born differently, raised differently, and sees the world in a way specific to their purpose. Understand that you're not always right and that there are gray areas in life. Try to see things the way others do.
5) Nothing lasts forever.
I've found, quite painfully, that everything ends. I used to live in a world where I believed nothing good could end if you worked hard enough. It's actually quite the opposite. Most unbelievably beautiful experiences last for a short time without any explanation or full understanding. We appreciate them so much more because we can never have them back. There are times that our best friendships exist with a person who only can coexist with us for the short time that our personalities work together. Then, people change, life changes, and we move on. It doesn't mean love goes away, just that we can no longer experience life together because we're meant for something more. It hurts so inconceivably bad, but it's just life. When it hurts, it mattered.
6) When you walk out that door, don't forget your faith.
I've found time and time again that I wake up wanting to live this life on my own so that there wasn't anyone in control but me. I've learned even in the dry spells that the only clear path comes with God. If your only interaction with Him has to be yelling in prayer for a while, so be it. Just never cut it off completely, even when things seem confusing and hazy.
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