A couple of days ago, I was lying in bed staring at the ceiling when I noticed two small dots glowing brightly directly above my head.
Hastily grabbing my glasses and standing on my mattress, it took me five good seconds of squinting at a distance of half an inch to discover what these lights were: two tiny glow-in-the-dark stars, stuck to the ceiling.
I realized that 1) it was a super cute little human moment for me to be staring at a remnant of the tenant before me, 2) my roommate had mentioned wanting glow-in-the-dark stars roughly a few hours prior—which was an insane coincidence—but 3) how had I not noticed this before?Â
I’ve lived in this room for about two months now, which means it took sixty nights of going to bed before I realized these little lights had been with me all along. I was so completely baffled by this that I started having a small crisis, because, genuinely, how had I not seen them glowing directly above my head in that long time span?
This little upheaval then kick-started my fourth realization: I really need to slow down and look at what’s around me.
I feel like one of the more common college experiences, especially here at a massive school like Texas A&M, is the feeling of being overwhelmed. There are so many assignments to do, so many people to meet, so many organizations to join, and the always-present worry of something like graduate school, life after college, or a “what am I doing with my major?” type of emotion.
Personally, for me, whether I realize it or not, I get easily wrapped up in the stress. I hyperfocus on questions about whether or not I’m involved enough, whether I could handle more, or if I’m doing the right major. Before I know it, I’m juggling thirty “what-ifs” in my head and stressing myself out as if I need to submit the answer to all of these questions by 11:59 that night.
While it’s true that there is a certain amount of necessary foresight required while obtaining your degree and preparing for what comes after, the reality is that you’re never going to get the exact answers to those hypothetical questions overnight.Â
Just like every other stage in life, college is a process. It’s never not going to be a process, and so for that reason, I advocate this: it’s easy to get wrapped up in the fast-moving pace of college and life, but if you don’t slow down and appreciate what’s around you, you will miss good moments.Â
Take a day to visit somewhere new—like a coffee shop or bookstore, maybe talk to someone new, or try a new hobby. Embrace the process of being in college and accept the fact that there are some questions that you don’t have the answer to, but the knowledge of that doesn’t always have to be overwhelming. It doesn’t even mean you need to figure it out instantly.
It’s okay to take a moment to relax and appreciate everything around you. If you don’t, you could be missing the sight of some beautiful glowing stars right above your head.