So, a couple friends and I went out to dinner Friday night to celebrate finishing the first week of the semester. We ended up talking about some of the important lessons we learned after our freshman year of college.
Coming into freshman year at Quinnipiac, I was beyond excited. I was more than ready to escape my small town in Upstate New York and discover what college was all about. I was looking forward to meeting new people, making new friends, and getting involved with college life.
Now that I am a sophomore, there are some essential life lessons I have learned. Most I have learned the hard way, but I guess that’s what life is all about.
1. You learn who your true friends are.
When I first set foot in Irma last year, I have to admit I was really nervous. I didn’t know what people were going to think of me; I thought girls on my floor were going to think I was weird or didn’t want to be friends with me. It turns out; I made some of my best friends here from the third floor of Irma. I learned that everyone coming in as freshmen is nervous. I also learned that there will be certain people who will stick by you no matter what you’re going through and then there will be certain people who will go behind your back and say or do mean things. People come and go in your life and you have to learn who is worth keeping as a friend.
2. Procrastinating doesn’t solve anything.
We’ve all been there, done that. At QU, a lot of work can pile up quick. On top of dealing with roommates, work study, and trying to maintain a social life, sometimes your academics can be put off to the last minute. Hey, it happens to everyone. While it’s great to have fun while you still can, schoolwork is pretty much the main reason why you are here. Don’t get me wrong, I have put off homework assignments and papers to the very last minute… but it’s usually never a good idea. Getting your work done in advance? Always a good idea.
3. Boys can be really nice; but then again boys can be really mean.
You meet a lot of people in college; and some of those people include boys. There will be boys who will want to treat you like a princess (and that’s what you all deserve, collegiettes!) but then there will be boys who are total jerks. It takes time to weed out the jerky boys to get to the nice boys. I’ve definitely learned that a boy should never be your main source of happiness; staying involved with your girlfriends and social life as well as keeping in touch with family should be keys to happiness. A nice boy can just be the icing on the cake.
4. Taking responsibility for yourself and your actions.
So I have a little secret, collegiettes. Before I came to QU, I have never done my own load of laundry. Bad, I know. However, at college, you kind of sort of need to do your own laundry so a) you don’t stink up your room and b) you have clean clothes to wear. Unfortunately, Mom (or Dad or whoever) won’t be there to do your laundry for you. But you know what? It’s really not that big of a deal. I actually find doing laundry relaxing now; how about that? Besides doing laundry, feeding yourself, doing your homework, and getting to sleep at a reasonable hour are your essential responsibilities. It’s going back to elementary school: you are responsible for yourself and your actions. Independence and responsibility are key in a successful college career.
Not everyone is perfect and we all mess up. That’s totally okay. College (and life) is all about learning who and what is right for you. You have control of the wheel, collegiettes; these life lessons are all what make us human.
These are some of the lessons I have learned; tell Her Campus what you have learned on Twitter @hercampusqu