This year has been tough for me, both personally and as a part of the Williams community more generally. Don’t get me wrong, this year has had some wonderful moments, but after surviving a concussion, a breakup, a torn ligament in my knee, and a gazillion more road bumps along the way—I’m seriously ready for the summer. It doesn’t help that this campus has seemed about ready to burst at the seams lately. It’s hard to escape the negativity in a community so internally divided. I recognize that many of the tough discussions taking place this year are necessary as we grow to become a better more inclusive college, but that doesn’t negate the fact that it is impossible not to be touched by the vitriol being thrown by all corners of this campus.
As I sit here reflecting upon surviving this tumultuous year, I can’t help realizing how much I’ve learned despite all the craziness, and because everybody loves lists I’ve simplified one school year’s worth of lessons into the 8 I’ve found most valuable:
- Building on themes from one of my earlier articles: listen more and talk less, especially when the issues involved are complicated. You’ll have your chance to talk eventually, and if you’ve been listening, when you do talk you’ll have something more valuable to contribute.
- Forgive yourself. You can’t control the way other people respond to your mistakes, but as long as you acknowledge what you’ve done wrong you owe yourself forgiveness. It’s the only way you can move on.
- Don’t give away too many slices of your pie. You can’t save the world, and you can’t save anybody else if you aren’t taking care of yourself.
- Stop making yourself more palatable for the sake of other people. You’re allowed to be passionate, messy, and emotional and you don’t have to change yourself to make other people more comfortable.
- Seek out support. Don’t go through things alone if you don’t have to. There is nothing heroic about putting yourself through more then you can handle.
- Soak up as much knowledge as you possibly can during your time on this campus. The people are freaking brilliant.
- Look up once in a while. The school year is a grind, but the Purple Bubble is not the whole world. It’s easy to get disenchanted when you lose sight of the bigger picture.
- Build a family, make it as big or as small as you want to but having a home away from home is one of my tricks to surviving here.
To end I just want to say thank you to HerCampus and our chapter’s fearless leader Michella Ore. It’s been a pleasure sharing my thoughts here with you this year. See you all senior year!