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

This past semester I have been in a co-op in San Diego, CA. Although I’ve been working full time, I’ve tried to take advantage of the surf here as much as possible and managed to pick up a new hobby. I was new to surfing at the start of the semester, but I can confidently say I am now decent (ish). Sitting out in the open ocean, waiting for a good wave to come along, I’ve had a lot of time to think. Kind of like a shower-thought, I started connecting my experience surfing to my life on land – work, school, friendships, etc. Here are some of those “life lessons” I learned while wiping out on my board: 

  1. Master your basics first. After catching a few small white-water waves, it’s tempting to paddle out and try riding the big waves. But, if you can barely get up on the board on a tiny wave, it likely won’t go well on a big one. Though it can be fun to get thrown around, sometimes you just have to get the little things right before you can accomplish the big things.
  2. Some waves are better than others. We are not all handed the same opportunities. Sometimes you have to just be at the right place at the right time. Don’t compare your success (or lack of) to that of others, you never know how easy or hard they’ve had to work for it. 
  3. It’s okay to sit on your board and rest your arms for a minute. You always have time to take a necessary rest. Dead arms won’t catch you any waves anyways, save your energy and take your break until you are ready to keep going. 
  4. Your leash can (and eventually will) snap. It’s nice having something to tether you to your board, but a rough patch of waves can snap your leash and send your board floating back to shore. Having people or things in your life that support you is a wonderful thing! But when the going gets rough, sometimes you get stranded out on your own. Be prepared to save yourself when worse comes to worst. 
  5. Don’t let a rip current drag you off course. If you’re not paying attention, you might end up halfway down the beach. Sometimes we get too focused on what we’re doing that we lose sight of where we started. No one likes hiking up the beach with a board trying to find where they left their stuff before they drifted away from it. 
  6. Some days the waves just suck. It’s not you, it’s not the board, sometimes the universe just isn’t lining up a good wave day. You can try to make the best of what you’ve got but have faith the break will be better tomorrow. 
  7. The ocean is way stronger than you. There are things out there that are so big that you are insignificant in comparison. Sometimes it’s best to accept and be aware of forces you can’t tackle. Focus on the things you can control, and let the rest take you along for the ride. 
  8. Stop and enjoy the sea life. Frantically paddling for every possible wave might get you an arm workout and some good practice, but my favorite thing about surfing is sitting out in the water and experiencing the open ocean. Look around at the life around you, spot some seals or dolphins, and appreciate the beautiful sunset over the water. Slow down for a moment and appreciate all the beauty around you. It pays to give attention to the little things in life from time to time. 

On or off the water, I try to keep these things in mind. The ocean gives some good advice, but the same can be said about a local forest, park, or even a bustling city. Sometimes all you need to hear is in the world around you, so take a listen. 

Katherine Raykova is the President at the Her Campus at Purdue chapter. She’s been a part of Purdue’s Her Campus chapter since fall of 2020! She oversees chapter meetings, brand partnerships, a monthly chapter newsletter, and general maintenance to keep her chapter afloat. Her favorite areas to write about are fashion, books, plants, and all things witchy. Katherine is currently a senior at Purdue University, double majoring in Mechanical Engineering and English with a minor in Intellectual Property Law for Engineers. She has completed a year of industry experience working in aerospace consulting and is currently an undergraduate research assistant for the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue. Outside of classes and Her Campus, Katherine is also a writing tutor at Purdue’s On-Campus Writing Lab (OWL) and a mentor for the Women in Engineering program. She hopes to attend law school next year to become a patent attorney. When she gets the chance, Katherine reads and spends as much time outside as possible. She loves listening to music and going on long walks around campus and nearby nature centers – even in the winter. Most days, she practices yoga, plays with tarot cards, and drinks multiple cups of tea. When she feels inspired, Katherine writes fiction or takes on a sewing/knitting project.