If you’re currently in college, or in the midst of applying to the universities that float your boat, there’s a high chance that you’re going through a few changes in your life. No, we’re not just talking about the new bangs that you decided to go for. When your high school education comes to an end, you soon find yourself flung into the realm of adulthood – and things can get pretty scary. Sure, you can dance the night away and have slumber parties with your dormies, but college is also a time for reflection and growth. It may sound cliché, but you learn so much more than what you do in class at college. These are the 5 most important things that you will learn.
How to take charge of your own life
Unless you continue living at home throughout your college experience, you’re gonna have to say goodbye to home cooked meals and mommy doing your laundry. College is no vacation and requires you to take charge of your own life. You have to manage your finances, you have to hold down a job, you have to make sure that you attend your classes, and then you have to stay on top of all of your extra reading. If you don’t take charge and simply allow the days to pass you by instead, you soon find yourself snowed under. Nobody wants that.
How to ask for help
Although you need to take charge of your own life, that doesn’t mean that you can’t ask for help along the way. You’ll be happy to know that people don’t expect you to have it all together as soon as you rock up on campus (phew!), and they expect you to ask for help. In fact, sometimes asking for guidance or that extra little nugget of information could be the difference between you surviving and you thriving. You’ve gotta thrive, y’all.
How to deal with failure
If you can go to college and leave with straight As in all of your classes and a job with a high-paying salary, then you definitely did something right in a past life. This rarely happens, because college (and life) doesn’t throw everyone a bone all of the time. There’s a high chance that you’re going to fail at something during your college degree. This might be a class, this might be in terms of a social situation, and it might even be in terms of your finances. Yet, it’s how you deal with this failure that really determines your life. By dusting yourself off and moving forward, you will be able to create the best version of yourself.
How to learn beyond the books
Books are a huge part of college life. In fact, you’ll probably spend a huge amount of your time in the library. However, it’s important to note that your learning doesn’t always have to take place within the confines of these pages. Sometimes you have to take a break, look around you at the world, and realize that you can learn a lot from the people and places around you.
How to make connections
If you kinda hate people, we don’t blame you. People can be exhausting, and it can be easy to simply ignore them and stay in your room when you get to college. Yet, you’ll probably soon find yourself coming out of your shell and meeting new people. After all, you’re gonna have to talk to your professors, your roommates, and even the people in your seminar groups. Knowing how to forge these connections will definitely help you later on in life.
College is an incredible learning curve. So, are you ready?
