I entered my freshman year at the University of Texas at Austin with one of the biggest heads one could imagine. I had excelled through high school and felt I had my entire life planned out. Get my undergraduate degree, go to law school, then somehow get into politics. For years, I had been told that my intelligence came from my analytical side, and that I would never be a creative. For years, I was okay with that.
Today, I am a senior undergraduate student with no other desire for the future than to work doing something I love that allows me to use my creativity toward good. I love fashion, entertainment, social media, and all things music. The art and people in these fields drive me to find beauty and fun in the world. As I near the middle of my last first semester of college, I can’t help but reflect on some key advice I wish I had when I was first starting my adult life:
- It’s Okay to Not Know
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I wish more than anything that when entering college, someone would have told me these key 5 words. The fear of not having a plan kept me from opening my hearts to so many new experiences and people. The fear of failing and not reaching perfection ultimately kept me from fulfilling my full potential in so many areas of my life. There is a certain beauty and excitement in not knowing exactly where your life will take you, and that is something we should embrace, not run from.
- You Are Not Just One Thing
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Since I was a child, my ego was boosted as a writer and problem solver. I was advanced in these areas, so I was praised in them. This praise led me to believe that these few skills were entirely who I was, and I really didn’t branch out until I got further into college. It’s crazy that I am still learning everyday that while I am those things, I am so much more. I am a writer, a problem solver, a singer, a dancer, a lover, a creator, and becoming so much more every day.
- Take It All In
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Experiencing my senior year in a pandemic has been such a difficult experience, and the same can be said for everyone this year. Though I wouldn’t change a thing, the circumstances have me nostalgic for a time passed. I am trying my best to take in all the little moments and details of being at such a unique and diverse university and time in my life to carry with me in the future.
Currently, I am full of cheesy advice, I know, but these points have grown so important to me. This pandemic has been such a curse to many, but the circumstances have also been a blessing in disguise. I have gotten the chance to reflect on myself and the relationships I hold. I challenge anyone who might feel the pressure of the world on them right now to know that they are not alone, there is so much more to come, and the best is most definitely yet to come.