Being a senior in college is surreal. There are so many things that I’ve done in college, so many memories and accomplishments that I can’t believe happened to me. I remember feeling so much older as a senior in high school and now that seems like another lifetime ago. College has made me a different version of myself and it sure as hell taught me a lot. It got me out of a shell I didn’t even know I was in, it opened me up to new experiences and a whole different way of living. College in the city is way different than people think it is. It forces you to live in the “real world” right away instead of having four years in dorms and a campus before moving to the city. There are so many things that I wish I would have known up until now and I’m sure there’s many lessons that I will learn in the next four years, but for now this is what I know.
Leave high school beind. The people who care enough to stay in your life will. Some friends grow apart but the ones who are meant to stay in your life will grow with you. Not to be a cheesy motivational Instagram post, but it’s true. I spent so much time being upset that my friends were changing and trying so hard to force things to make them be the way they used to be. I couldn’t accept that things changed, we changed. But there are also people that may not include you in everything, but they do when it counts; no matter how long it’s been, it’s like nothing ever changed. Those are the friends worth keeping in your life.
Don’t look for love…especially at Columbia. It’s too hard. Instead of looking for the cutest guy in class or at the party, look for friends; they will be ten times more valuable in the long run. Columbia itself is a hard place to meet people, don’t make it harder by looking for the wrong kind of person. Love will come when you’re least expecting it.
Do what you want to do. Don’t change yourself to fit into the group of people you want to hangout with. You will be the one who gets hurt at then end of everything. Sometimes it’s hard to stand up for what you want or believe in because you feel like it’s impossible to find another group of friends at Columbia. Yes, it’s hard, but it’s not impossible and you have to decide if doing something you don’t believe in is worth it.
Don’t put anything off. Wanna study abroad? Do it. Dreaming of having an internship in NY or LA? Apply for them. There are too many obstacles that get in the way of saying “yes” to opportunity. Moving is a pain, money is scarce, parents don’t approve; the excuses are endless. JUST DO IT. Don’t worry about this or that, you will figure it out in the end and have an amazing experience instead of always saying, “I should have done that” or “I wish I did that.” You won’t get the chance to do these things outside of college, let yourself have it while you can.
Go home. This is something I did quite often. I know many people don’t get this opportunity because their homes are so far away, but go home as much as you can. Being home and being there soley to spend time with my family really stregthened our relationship. In middle school and high school, rebelling and trying to get away from your parents is pretty much inevitable. After you leave, coming home to see them means so much to them and you’re reminded that everything they ever did was because they love you. Don’t make them go too long without seeing you, it means more to them than you think.
Enjoy your time off. It’s insane how busy life gets when taking on school, a job, and an internship. Enjoy every second of carefree time while you can. Go to fests, take walks, explore the city, watch netflix until you feel like you’re doing nothing with your life; these are the things I can only dream of doing now. I hate to say it but my parents were right, I tried to grow up too fast. I wanted a job, an internship, and responsibilities to feel like I was doing something. Truth is, I could have waited until junior year and done just fine.
Don’t take on too much. Once you become a second semester junior or senior you might be freaking out and trying to take on too many things at once. Don’t do that. I took on three jobs, an internship, and full-time school; it was one of the worst mistakes of my life. Yes, it’s important to do things to build your resume but you don’t need to stress yourself out. You’re still in college, don’t rush being busier than you will when you get a real job. The extra job or internship won’t make or break your career. It will be much more beneficial for your sanity to say no to an opportunitiy here or there.
Cherish the moments you have. After junior, even sophomore year, people get busy. We get past the college rush and start jobs, internships, not to mention the countless projects you get since classes are so much harder. It gets hard to hangout with the friends the way you used to. No more going down the hall at any time of the day to see your best friend or going up a few floors for parties that all your friends are at. Appreciate these moments, don’t take them for granted. Before you know it these days are gone, the friends you shared your favorite memories with could be living a different life or even in a different state. It’s no one’s fault, but life happens so live in it while you can.