With another year of college somehow over, it’s time to reflect on what this year has taught me. Mistakes were made, triumphs were celebrated, and in the blink of an eye, I’ll be trading the city life for my small hometown in New Jersey for the next four months. At the risk of sounding like my mom, I can’t believe that this past year has already flown by. In this short period of time, I feel like I’ve grown so much and have become a totally different person than who I was in September. I hope the lessons I’ve learned are helpful for you, no matter how old you are.
- Give yourself a chance with opportunities you’re not sure if you’re qualified for.
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It never hurts to try. There’s no harm done in sending in an application for that dream internship or cool promotion. The worst that can happen is that you don’t get picked, but it’s better than always wondering about what could’ve been. I’ve had a lot of great things happen to me this year because I’ve learned to think, “why not?” Nothing bad can come from throwing your name out there.
- Be open to making new friends.
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You think you’re the coolest kid in school because you found your friend group in freshman year, but leave room for growth! I’ve met some amazing people this year that have unexpectedly become my best friends. Sometimes it’s tempting to shy away from forming new friendships because you already have your own circle, but there will always be so many people at school you haven’t even met yet.
- Your friends should be your support system.
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I’m the type of person who likes to keep my sadness bottled up because I hate feeling like I’m bothering my friends. I also tend to resort to humor as a defense mechanism so I can downplay whatever bad things I’m going through. While I’m still not the best at it, I’ve tried to become much more candid about my feelings. I’ve learned that my friends really are there for me, and I don’t have to pretend like I’m fine if I’m not. We all have our own stuff we’re dealing with, and no one is going to judge you for being vulnerable.
- Take pictures.
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Yes, I’m giving you permission to stop and take pictures of your food. I love scrolling through my camera roll and seeing a bunch of great memories preserved through pictures and videos. It may feel silly at the time to be that one person who makes everyone stop for a picture, but they bring me a lot of happiness later on. When three of my closest friends were studying abroad this semester, pictures reminded me of all the great moments we’ve shared and helped me feel better when I missed them.
- Some bonds are stronger than distance.
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When your best friends are in Europe and six hours ahead of you, it can be a little hard to feel connected. Nothing was worse than wanting to show them a funny tweet and then realizing it was five o’clock in the morning for them. But I’ve learned there’s always a way to make it work—texts, pictures, and video calls helped fill in the gaps of our communication. I was scared everything would feel different when they came back to America, but it was like we picked up where we left off. All our jokes and favorite ways of spending time quickly came back to us, and it was like nothing had changed.
- Get excited for the future!
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The thought of going into my junior year is stressful and shocking—it feels like just yesterday that I was playing icebreakers during orientation week. While it is a bit daunting to think of my future, I’m learning to be excited about it. Embrace your passions and start thinking about how you want to apply them to your future. I’m coming to terms with the fact that growing up doesn’t have to be a bad thing, and getting older doesn’t mean you need to know all the answers.
Here’s to another year of college completed. Let’s take what we’ve learned and continue to grow.