“The First Lesson I Learned in College”
As an incoming freshman, I was ready for the college experience and to learn all kinds of lessons about the responsibilities that come with being independent. However, the very first lesson I learned in college was totally unexpected. The first thing I realized was that my annoying, nosey, and nagging family is the greatest thing ever. I missed them a lot more that I thought I would. For the first time, I was truly on my own. Every decision was mine to make and all the consequences were my responsibility. No one was around to make sure I did my schoolwork, ate heartily, or remembered that appointment or meeting. Adulting is hard work and it has made me come to appreciate my family so much more.
The first people I miss are my sisters. Whenever I am bored on a weekend, my sisters are always available to do something whereas my friends here on campus may not always be free. My sisters are all amazing people, we get along so well, and I always have the best time when I am with them. They always find a way to make me laugh so much and they are just as goofy as I am. Sometimes I even miss my brothers-in-law, who do nothing except tease me constantly but it’s okay—I love them anyway.
One of the biggest blessings on my life this past year has been my niece. She is just the cutest, sweetest, and certainly funniest little baby ever. She has so much energy and such a big personality for such a little girl, (she is quite the drama queen!) I have had some of the best days running after her and I could spend endless hours playing with her.
The people I miss the most though are my parents. From the day I was born, I have relied on my parents for everything and they have given me every opportunity for a good, successful life. It wasn’t until I got to college and had to start relying on only myself for my day-to-day decisions that I realized exactly how much my parents have done and sacrificed for me. That has made my sisters and I grow to appreciate them so much more. I have yelled at my parents to leave me alone, stop nagging me, and let me live my life…you know, in those angsty teenage years. However, now I realize that it was the nagging to try my hardest and to do my best that has gotten me to this point and helped me achieve all the success I have had in my life. I had always thought I was taking care of myself at that time and that it was easy, but when I got to college I realized that was not true. I had always had my mom with me to remind me to do my work or to make sure I was eating healthy and I have had to adjust to remembering all that myself.
Being independent is not as easy as a lot of teenagers tend to think it is. Adulting is hard and it takes a lot of self-control each day to make sure I am doing what I need to and not just watching Netflix all day. I have come to realize how amazing my family is, even if they are annoying, and I have come to see how much they mean to me.