With school getting started, the usual hustle and bustle that comes along with it rev up as well. Clubs and organizations bombard you with flyers, promotions, and free food to join. Classes are switched around, and you’re getting readjusted for the first or last time. College can be super stressful, not to mention the pressure to choose and commit to a major to finish school on time and get your career started as soon as possible.
Yes, college is a place to get your degree, but it is also a place to find out who you are.
Someone once told me, “Who you are is God’s gift to you, and what you do with it is your gift to God.” Whether you are a religious person or not, the same quote can be applied to your daily life. God gives you talents, likes, dislikes, skills, etc., and each of those elements makes up who you are. When you come to college you are supposed to choose a major, change it 3 times, join clubs just to find out that’s not for you, meet people that you will wish you never see again, and come across other people that will become your life-long friends.
Don’t get caught up in the idea that you have to follow this specific path to get where you want to go because, in all actuality, the more chaotic the path is, the more rewarding the destination will be. College is an opportunity, and — like any opportunity — it is what you make out of it. Don’t get so consumed with the grades, school, and finding yourself academically that you neglect to connect with people and find yourself socially. However, on the flip side, do not get so caught up with fitting in socially that you forget what you are ultimately here for.
After you have found a major, established a solid group of friends, and are doing something that you are passionate about, you are not only giving back to God what he instilled in you, but you are also giving back to yourself. Seeing all of your hard work come to fruition is what it is all about. Knowing that all of the time and dedication that you put in was not for naught proves that you can be successful in all that you do.
So, for the freshman, don’t worry. Failing that one test you spent all week studying for does not mean it is the end of the world. Sophomores, it is not too late for you to change your major. Juniors, the internship pool is bottomless. Make it count. Seniors, you are almost there. Don’t give up now. And to the fifth years and beyond, you deserve every ounce of success that you refused to quit for.
Everyone’s journey is different because who you are is different from who everyone else is.