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Hindsight is 2020: How This Year Has Been A Personal Wake-up Call

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at FSU chapter.

I’ll say it. 2020 collectively has sucked for lack of better words, and while it might be too early to make such a claim, I know that there are so many others who would agree with me. At New Year’s, I wished for clarity and personal growth in 2020, and I think that’s exactly what I’m getting. I find peace in knowing that these wishes are being fulfilled in some way, but it has not been the enlightening journey I expected to pursue.

I left FSU about a month ago, and I’ve been up with family for the last month. Going into this whole thing, I expected two weeks of my time dedicated to staying in, catching up on work and enjoying time with family. Like many others, I anticipated three weeks maximum, and it would be right back to it down in Tally. It’s going on week four, and it’s not exactly looking great for us social butterflies. A little-known trait about me is that I cannot, will not and shall not spend my time alone. See it as good or bad; I always love to (and have to) share my time with others. Don’t get me wrong, my family is great, but seeing my friends is such a massive part of my daily routine has really caused my mental fitness to decline. It sounds dramatic, but I swear if you know me, my people are my everything. That being said, after recognizing how bad I was performing in being a functioning adult, I knew that training myself to be alone was a task I had to face. 

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
I have never spent this much time on my own. Not to be dramatic, but I genuinely struggle to enjoy alone time. I’m not sure why this isn’t my strong suit, and maybe a psych major could help me break this down, but I’ve always made time in my daily schedule to hang out with friends. Now I know there are incredible resources like facetime, social media, and a hundred other outlets to connect with friends, but I crave the real deal. However, I realized after days of attempts in entertaining myself, that I do need to learn to function on my own without the reliance on others. I’d never allowed myself to have alone time for whatever reason, and I’m actually getting to know myself as an individual. Yes, it is cheesy, but I think I needed this time to become friends with myself. 

Not to mention the perspective of this situation and how much I value the things I most certainly took advantage of. Our time is such a precious resource, and I don’t think I will ever take my health for granted again. It’s also the little things we can’t take for granted as we move forward, i.e., our coffee runs, soaking up the sun on Landis, or even just sitting amongst the students in Ruby Diamond through a tedious lecture. Moreover, we must use this unique time to continue our personal growth, whether through a creative or physical outlet, it is crucial to keep our minds as well as our bodies. I understand there are so many that are not able to have the luxury and privilege of self-exploration at this time, so do take full advantage if you have the opportunity. This has been an incredibly necessary and thoughtful experience, and while the weeks ahead are uncertain, I know I have myself to get through it, and you do too.

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Isabella graduated in April 2021 from Florida State University, majoring in English (Editing, Writing, and Media). She is pursuing a career in digital advertising and public relations in the entertainment industry. When off duty, she can be found hanging with her two kitties, crafting her 1000th Spotify playlist, or sporting the town in search of the next great foodie spot. Check out her latest articles below!
Her Campus at Florida State University.