Congratulations, collegiettes! We have made it through fall quarter – a quarter filled with adjusting to college life, late sorority recruitment nights, figuring out how the shuttle works, and how to budget our dining dollars on more than just coffee!
Yes, we have been utterly overwhelmed with classes, homework, organizations, and work. For some of us, this has been our first experience living away from our families, which has only added an amount of stress and difficulty to everything that we have going on here. This may be my second year here, but I can’t say there aren’t times when I just feel swamped.
I still go through times where I miss my family like crazy, where school seems to be too much to handle, and where all I want to do is fall into my big cozy bed and sleep for a week. Sometimes college feels like more of a struggle than it’s worth, but there’s something that pushes me further.
The thing that keeps me going is when I take a step back and admire how far I have come to be at this point in my life right now. In a metaphorical sense, I find that I am almost to the top of the mountain (the mountain top being graduation) and when I look down, I can see all of the hard work that I have put into making the climb to the top thus far.
I never would have expected college to be this much of a test of my endurance, but I also never knew I was capable of handling so much and still succeeding. It’s okay to think highly of ourselves sometimes, and it’s okay to remind ourselves of how awesome we actually are. College is tough, collegiettes, and if no one else is there to remind you of how strong and smart you are, then let me be the one to tell you that you are both and more.
I feel like this message should be distributed to you all at this point in the year, because this is the time when we are wrapping up a full ten weeks of so many things that have just happened. Our bodies may crash after our last final from a mixture of pure exhaustion and joy, but after well-deserved rest is given to our bodies, let’s take some time to reflect on our journey.
Remember that you have just taken in so much knowledge, and processed it all in order to prove to your professors that you truly are as intelligent and eloquent as we all know you are. You have learned valuable life skills while living on your own, and learned some possibly hard lessons about time-management and health consciousness. You are tough, and you are persistent; determined and unique.
If the holidays are about celebrating life, family, joy, happiness, and all that is beautiful about life, then we should also be celebrating each other. While you enjoy your time back home with your friends and family, be sure to rest your body and mind with the thoughts of all you have accomplished. May your soul smile as it is replenished with thankfulness in your heart for the education you are receiving.
Through everything that we have been through in college, we have only become wiser and better women. We truly can do anything! Happiest holidays to you collegiettes – may you enjoy every moment reflecting upon this year with yourself and your loved ones this season!