Ellen McAllister
Managing Editor
When you go to college, everyone talks about the increased academic rigor, late nights writing papers and always being stressed with the amount of homework you have to do. While what people say is true, what they don’t talk about are the things that you learn outside of the classroom, and these are what truly make up your college experience. Reflecting on my four years here, I’ve realized that there are three things I have learned simply from living on campus that are far more important than anything I could learn in a classroom.
Everyone is a little bit weird in their own right. We all do strange and goofy things even if we are not proud of them. However, these are the things that make us interesting. So, embrace the weird. It is okay if no one else is wearing similar clothes to you or doesn’t share the same hobbies, just be you. Over time, you will find the people who will embrace your weirdness with you and maybe if you’re really lucky, they’ll help you see your full weird potential. Just remember, when you are embarrassed for doing something a little out of the ordinary, someone else is thinking the same thing.
Figuring out your passion is complicated and a little scary, but luckily college alleviates some of the stress for you. Now this isn’t to say that you have to eat, sleep and breathe this thing that you discover that you like, just that you enjoy them. Maybe in college you find out that you really like doing chemistry experiments or that you are really passionate about good coffee. Whatever it is, you have college to thank for it.
Finally, it is so important to have fun. It’s so easy to get bogged down with all of the homework and practices and clubs that people forget to stop and do fun things. These are the things that seem the most necessary at the time because you need to do well in all of these areas to get a good job or get into grad school. But will you remember that Friday night that you stayed in to work on a paper for class or will you remember the game night that you had with friends? I know grades seem vital to your college survival, and while they are something you should care about, don’t let them stand in the way of you going to a paint night or having a “High School Musical” marathon with friends.
All in all, you learn so much in college and it can be hard to separate out the random stuff you learned in that required math course, from your major requirements to everything else you learn about being a functioning adult. I know it’s a lot and is overwhelming, so don’t forget to embrace the weirdness of life, let loose and find your passion. College is supposed to be fun, so let it be.