College is truly the best and worst experience of your life. Not only has it been incredibly challenging for me, it has also made a huge impact in my life and who I am. I can honestly say that I am not the same person that first started her freshman year back in 2014. Though it has had a few turns for the worst, I wouldn’t change my years at Colegio for anything. Here are the lessons I’ve learned:
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No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
Sometimes you do things out of the goodness of your heart and it completely ends up biting you in the a**. We should always remain kind and good-hearted yet, know that people sometimes don’t have the best intentions and you need to be careful what you do for or tell others.
2. Something was special because you were part of it
Because we are at the beginning of our careers and we at times feel like we’re just lucky to be here, we tend to forget that we have something to bring something to the company as well. I thought I needed this thing and was gonna be unable to be successful without it, but then I understood that I had no reason to feel that way because I, you, us, will be successful because of our talent, drive and knowledge, not just because of a single internship or a company.
3. It’s ok to let something you love go
Whether it is a partner, friendship or a job, if you’re no longer happy in it or with it, let it go. Holding on to something that isn’t working can only make things worse and more painful. Once you let it go, you WILL have more space and clarity to find your way and do what makes you happy.
4. Own your narrative
Don’t ever let anyone dictate who you are or what you can do. There is only one person who can decide where you will go and that is you. Never let other people’s words do anything but empower you and drive you to do better.
5. Now is not forever
I know that sometimes the weeks at Colegio feel endless and that it seems that we are never meant to get to graduation day. However, while it may feel like an endless cycle of pain and anxiety, the best is yet to come. Just because we’re stuck here today doesn’t mean we’ll be here forever. There is life after college. But if you are struggling and feel like it’s just too much, please ask for help or take a semester off.
6. Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket
Yes, have that ideal internship or position at your dream company, have big goals and work hard to achieve them. However, in today’s climate and job market we should always have a plan B, C and even up to Z. Things don’t always work out as planned and it’s better to prepared for the worst case scenario. Side hustles are often lifesavers.
7. Be kinder to yourself
Many times we are so harsh on ourselves and we forget to cut ourselves some slack because we don’t have to have it all figured out and ready to go. We are doing our best and though we may fail at times, we are still learning therefore, we should be a little nicer to ourselves as we would with any other friend or family member who is in our same situation.
These five years at Colegio have taught me so much and I am grateful for every bit of it. I truly can’t wait for the next chapter. Hope you can take something from this and it can help you in your journey through college!