Lessons Learned in College

Since the school year’s almost over, I’ve been thinking a lot about how much things have changed from the beginning of the year to now. Being a freshman in college is a roller coaster. But out of all the things I’ve learned, there are two lessons that, to me, are most prominent and have taught me the most. 

1. Don't drink to get people to like you.

Partying taught me a lot about myself and about other people. My roommate is an avid “partygirl”, and she insists that she’s made so many friends at parties. I’m fine with her choices, her life is her life. But I can’t help thinking, is she making real friends? She’s meeting people while she’s drunk and when they’re drunk. They usually remember each other, but can she really consider them “friends”? If she needs help, will they help her, while sober? Can she go to them when she needs to talk about things that are troubling her? Not that I can see.

You need a support system at school, especially as a freshman in college. To me, party friends aren’t the same as supporting friends.  

2. You will eventually turn back into the person you are.

Yep, when I came to college, I started growing a tail, some fur and kept barking at people. But now I’m back to human form, no worries.

Bad joke, my bad.

But this lesson is the biggest one for me.

First semester, I thought that I was living the life of a college student. Going out every weekend, thinking drinking was great, making friends with people that I really didn’t like but tolerated because I thought that’s what everyone did. I also didn't take the time to realize how homesick I was because I didn't want to be the baby who missed her mommy. But once we went home for winter break, everything changed. My life had been going going going since school started and it finally all caught up to me. I realized that the person I was being wasn’t who I wanted to be. I wasn’t, had never been, and didn’t want to be a partygirl and I didn’t enjoy the company of other partygirls. So second semester, I came back to school with my sketchbook and with my collection of good literature. I talk to my mom every day and I'll admit that I am sometimes so homesick that I'm brought to tears. I’ve only gone out about three times in the past three months and I’ve become closer to the people that stay in on weekends and get good grades, i.e. the mature kinds of people that I’ve been drawn to my entire life.

And now everything finally seems to be in place. 

You will get back on track.