We all know that no two college experiences are the same. I mean, for so many reasons, it’s important to make your college experience unique and personal to you. From meticulously picking my course load each semester to joining the organizations that resonated with me, there were so many ways that I was customizing my time at Florida State.
I think that what really set my university experience apart from most others in the end, however, was that I only needed two years on campus to get the degree that I had set out for.
I totally recognize that the idea of transferable college credits from high school courses isn’t a foreign concept. In fact, I’m pretty confident that basically everyone is graduating high school with at least some form of college credit already under their belt nowadays. I was lucky enough to come from a high school that made it pretty easy to snag up as many college credits as we could before graduation through their Collegiate Academy.
Again, I’m sure some of you also followed this route or at least know someone who did. Personally, it made sense for me to take this path as I knew I could hold myself accountable to ultimately graduate high school with an Associate of Arts degree.
With the huge advantage of already having half of my college classes out of the way came the daunting reality that I would only have two years at FSU to make the most of my higher education experience.
While it was exciting to know that I would graduate with a Bachelor’s degree younger than most others (specifically at 19, thanks to my summer birthday), it was also intimidating to realize that I had half the time to gain my work experience, network new connections, and make the unforgettable memories I’ll always look back on.
Today, with less than a month before I walk the stage at graduation, I wish I could go back and tell myself just how much I don’t need to panic about any of that. So, if you’re entering FSU or even any university in a similar situation, please allow me to tell you that you have no need to worry either!
I Belong Here
The first thing I needed to realize was just how important it is to get the feeling that I was out of place out of my head — just completely throw it out. The reality is that no one in my classes could tell just by looking at me that I was possibly younger than all of them and didn’t have the same level of experience that they did. Also, when some of my peers eventually found out just how young and ahead I was, they found it pretty cool, anyway.
Nonetheless, how much time I had spent on the campus and how bare my resume may have felt compared to everyone else didn’t discredit my abilities. Since I’d already managed to get one college degree out of the way while balancing high school classes, I’d shown that I’m more than capable and deserving of being right where I am.
I Still Have to work hard
Next, I should have recognized that my short time spent at FSU would take some hard work, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Being a full-time university student who already had an AA demanded a little bit of juggling, but it’s no different from the juggling I learned while taking dual enrollment classes in high school.
This time, instead of balancing high school and college courses simultaneously, I had my college courses and resume builders to balance. Again, this was a good thing! I might’ve been pretty busy, but then I would think about how cool it was to be able to start pursuing my goals and gaining the experience to do so at such a young age. On top of that, FSU has some fantastic resources available to students with an AA to help them navigate their remaining undergraduate years.
I must learn how to relax
Lastly, I know how cliché it sounds, but being so ahead has taught me how important it is just to chill out sometimes. It’s so easy to get into the habit of comparing myself to my peers and feeling inferior. Even as I write this, I’m a bit of a hypocrite because I feel like I should’ve done more to graduate with more tools in my toolbox.
However, the reality is that everyone is different and has unique strengths, which doesn’t mean I’m not as good as others. Certainly, it also doesn’t mean I have nothing to be proud of. So, while it’s pretty hard to relax at times, I’ve learned to give myself some grace.
As I mentioned earlier, just as everyone takes a different path in college, in the same way, everyone also takes a unique path after graduating. Truthfully, I find peace in knowing that, for that reason, there are no “wrong” plans for approaching higher education and my life after graduation. I’m finding that the only way to do something wrong is to not learn from the experience.
If I can look back at my two years at Florida State and recognize so much already, I really can’t wait for all I’ll learn after this chapter of my life!
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