Textbooks, lectures, final exams, these, are just a few tools many people think of when describing how college prepares students for their jobs after school. However, college is much more than just course-work, it is a time for developing who we are as people and the ideals we will carry for the rest of our lives. We come in as naive 18-year-olds, and over the years we hopefully discover who we are.
With the middle of the semester coming up, I have been reflecting on the lessons that I have learned so far at ONU.
I realized that college has provided me the opportunity to set the standards for my own life, leading to outline five essential truths to my life so far.
1. Being excessively-organized is critical to success in school as well as life.
My calendars, planners, note-taking systems and even organizing my apartment have become a part of my daily life management routine. I would not survive without excessively organizing my life; it keeps me on task and goal oriented.
2. Treat every day like it is a day job
A while back, I had read a bulletin board in my apartment hallway, (sometimes they have great information) and read an interesting piece on how to stay productive during the day. The section on the board said to treat every day of classes as a day of work. Meaning that if you go to class in the morning at 9 and then have a 3-hour break, under no circumstance should you go back to your room and watch TV!
Instead, go to the library or an empty classroom on campus and get some work done, read the news, or a book, anything that could help you work toward a goal that you have set.
When I go back to my room, I know that I neglect the work that I need to get done. Taking that break in the day sets my mind to its lazy setting when it needs to be in productive mode. I make it a priority to have that "work day" feel until have accomplished the day's goals.
3. Being happy with your department/workplace is more important than the status/money you think you need.
My first semester of college was a miserable experience. I was struggling in every aspect of my life; school, personal, emotional and physical. I was having a hard time fitting in with the professors that I had, the friends that I had made and the student organizations that I chose to participate in.
Thankfully, one professor in the Communications and Media Studies department helped me realize something vital; if you are struggling with an aspect of your life, you should examine the people that you are around first.
In my case, I did not fit into the department. I made the change, and now I love going to class, I love the work that I am doing and love the people that I interact with on a daily basis.
You can not put a price on being in the right place at the right time.
4. There are times for buckling down and having self-control, and there are times for letting loose and falling off the face of the earth.
Often, as college students, we tend to get into a mindset that we need to be productive all the time, 24/7. I know people who get up in the morning, start doing work, go to meetings, go to practice, go to work, come back and do more homework.
Working that hard all the time leaves no room for reflection or mental decompression.
I make a point to take a step back from my work every once in a while. When that time comes, I forget everything I have to do; it goes on the back burner. Taking time to "fall off the face of the earth" is sometimes healthy. Get lost in a good book, go for a long walk or just sit and think, whatever allows you clear your mind and relax.
5. Let your confidence show and step out of your comfort zone.
Confidence is the most powerful aspect that a person can have. It amplifies our attributes and shows other people that we can handle ourselves. If we spend all of our lives putting up boundaries around the things we think cannot be handled, then our full potential will never be reached.
Go and join that club you once thought you might want to or take that class you never thought you could handle, run for a president of an organization. You never know if you will succeed at something if you never try.
I am in no way the most confident person in the world, nor do I always step out of my comfort zone. However, I try to walk into new situations with the confidence that I will succeed. I will always be the loudest person in the room, not always vocally but confidently.
Number two is something I definitely need to work on. I'll always end up coming back to my room and doing nothing productive during my breaks. That just leads me to putting stuff off even longer sometimes. Instead of starting my work really late and working into the morning, I should start doing it throughout the day, so it doesn't pile up as much.
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