On my way to my last class at SDSU, I couldn’t help but
chuckle and reminisce on my very first freshman class on campus in a neighboring
building. Boy, how times have changed. Fresh out of high
school, I remember the excitement of waiting in line at Starbucks (the early
days of my coffee addiction), walking to class with coffee in hand, thinking I
was some big college hot shot ready to conquer the world. I can see it now:
nose high up in the air with my oversized sunglasses, pretending I had some
clue of what I was doing while imagining I was a Harvard collegiate genius on
the sunny streets of San Diego. I dreamed and ignorantly believed that the next
four years would be pure perfection, because hey, that’s what college was
supposed to be.
I still remember it; I still remember myself back then, who
I was and who I thought I was. But that was then and this is now. Four years
later, on the foot of my graduation, I realize how much I’ve changed, how much
I’ve grown, how things are different, and how some things are exactly the same.
And just as quickly as that first day went by, today will
soon be gone, but hopefully not before I can record it on this blog. There are
a couple of things I want to share in the few days I have left as I look back
on my college experience. So, please allow me to shed some wisdom on what I’ve
learned to those who can apply to their own lives, making their college years
as close as possible to a freshman’s perception of college “perfection.”
1.
Things
will NOT go according to plan. Cliché. I know. But, much like most freshmen
embarking on their first year of college, I had a four-year plan of what I
wanted to do and who I wanted to become by the very end. I was a big believer
in myself and my own abilities, and yes, a bit overconfident to say the least.
Life turned out a little differently than I expected. Actually, make that a lot different. I recently started
wondering if I would proud or disappointed at the way my life turned out these
last few years, but then I remembered something my mom told me when I graduated
high school: “Things may not always go according to plan, but sometimes plans
change.” Plans change more frequently than you’ll imagine, whether you want
them to or not. Take what you have, run with it, and expect the journey to be
even better than you expected.
2.
Catch every opportunity thrown at you.
I was extremely fortunate. Correction: I am
extremely fortunate. I’ve had so many opportunities in the past few
years—opportunities that I didn’t realize would be so beneficial until years
later, and ones that I’m still reaping the rewards. I realize I’ve had a
handful of opportunities presented to me through school, different
organizations, my faith, my community, and past jobs and internships. I’ve been
blessed. However, I also think of all the things I could’ve done and I
should’ve done that I didn’t, and how things could have been different and much
better if I did. Networking is scary. Taking charge is scary. Putting yourself
out there is scary. Trust me, I know.
Several years ago, I was the intern afraid to answer the phone, looking at it
as if it were a ticking time bomb. Break out of your comfort zone and realize that
it’s not enough to just do what you’re told, but in order to succeed, you must
take charge and make experiences what you want them to be. In the end, networking
and putting yourself out there is not just the icing on the cake in your career,
but it’s the cake that will feed your future endeavors.
3.
Coming
full circle with friends: Friends become acquaintances, acquaintances
become strangers, and strangers become friends. Grieve the friends you’ve lost
and be thankful for the ones you’ve gained. Accept the fact that people will
come and go, but never forget who has been there for you all these years. Those
people will grow to become more than friends—they’ll become your family. And
trust me when I say, there is nothing better than a genuine supporter, a true
confident, a beloved companion, and a best friend.
4.
Every day
is like being in a classroom: I think back to that girl on her first day of
college, scurrying to find the Arts & Letters Building, and I realize she
had no idea who she was, what she was doing, or where she was going. She was
lost, in more ways than one—and she never even knew it. But, it would be years later
until she realized it, until she grew to learn more about herself and developed
as an individual facing the real world instead of living in a fantasy. Granted
I’m still learning about myself every single day, but these years have taught
me more about my heart and my faith than I ever could’ve imagined or realized. Every
day is a learning experience. Come to terms with the idea that there are more
layers and meaning to your life than at first glance; all you have to do is allow
time and reflection to unravel them.
5.
Things will
get worse just as they get better. I’ve had some of the happiest times in my
life in college, and sadly some of the darkest. With the good comes the bad,
and often times, there’s nothing you can do about it. Embrace it; live it;
learn from it; grow from it, and move on.
6.
Calling
out your BS. I’ll admit, I BS-ed a lot of my college experience. I mean,
who doesn’t? I never thought that when I was done I’d regret not doing better.
I regret not taking certain classes to learn more about other fields, more
about different aspects in my own field. I regret not trying my hardest in
certain classes. I regret not caring enough and putting other aspects of my
life above school. Even now, I have so much learning to do and realize how
unprepared I still am. There’s only one problem: I’m at the point where there’s
not much to do about it.
7.
Feed your
social stomach. Don’t become a hermit. You will only be young and in
college once, and though school and your career is important, make time for the
people who matter and the things that truly matter. Enjoy the time you have
with your friends and family and allow yourself to have a social life. Once
these years are gone, there’s no way of getting them back.
8.
Say
Thanks. Just like all your college papers, give credit to where credit is
due. Thank the people that were there and helped you through. Thank God for
never leaving your side. But most importantly, realize that you couldn’t have
done it alone and you didn’t do anything alone. I certainly couldn’t; I certainly
didn’t. So, thank you to those who were there, who are still there, and who will
always be there.
9.
Don’t
dwell on the “I didn’t.” Think of the “I did.” I didn’t do a lot of things
that that freshman girl wish she could’ve, but I did do things that most people
wish they could. I loved, I lost, I
learned, and I’m thankful for all of it. I can’t sit and dwell on the things I
wish I could’ve done, but I must be thankful for the things I did.
With a small tear in my eye, I still can’t believe it’s
over, just like I can’t believe it’s all about to begin. Here’s to four amazing
years at SDSU, four amazing years of my life, and to many more amazing years to
come.
Cheers to my last post as a college student and my first
post as a person in the “real world.”
To the class of 2012: WE DID IT!
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