I may not have always been great at this, in fact most of the time I was opposite of involved. After being super involved in high school I was ready for a break and I feel like there were things I missed out on in college. So go do stuff with people!
It's okay to say NO
While it's great to be involved, don't feel like you HAVE to do everything. It's okay to say no sometimes and watch a movie in your dorm. If you start saying yes to everything you'll be exhausted and nothing will get done. So pick and choose what you want to be a part of. Also, if any part of you thinks that something is dangerous or illegal, DON'T DO IT, because it probably is and at some point in your life you'll probably regret it.
Go to a friend's house for a holiday
Being from a different state I wasn't always able to go home for Thanksgiving or Easter. I think visiting another family for a holiday can teach you a lot about different family dynamics, about who you are, and what you appreciate about your own family and traditions.
Call your parents (and grandparents)
While you may be just fine, your mom might not. Or maybe you're a wreck and you don't want your dad to worry about you. Well guess what, your parents are definitely worried about you and many don't want to "intrude" on your new found independence at college. Call them anyway, even if its just for 5 minutes on your way to class. They'll appreciate it, and odds are, you'll feel better too. (Same goes for grandparents. They're not going to be around forever and once they're gone you'll regret not spending more time getting to know them.)
Take a random class
Learn about something new! My sophomore year I took one quarter of Greek. Do I remember any of it? Not really. Do I really need to know Ancient Greek? Probably not at all. But it was a good experience and now I can say, "Yeah one time I took Greek in college..."
And most importantly...
Be a good friend
This will look differently for everyone, but college is a great time to truly get to know people. And its the only time in your life when you will be living with your best friends. Be there for them. Love them. Pray for them. And most importantly be good to them, just like you would want them to be to you.
It's okay to say NO
While it's great to be involved, don't feel like you HAVE to do everything. It's okay to say no sometimes and watch a movie in your dorm. If you start saying yes to everything you'll be exhausted and nothing will get done. So pick and choose what you want to be a part of. Also, if any part of you thinks that something is dangerous or illegal, DON'T DO IT, because it probably is and at some point in your life you'll probably regret it.
Go to a friend's house for a holiday
Being from a different state I wasn't always able to go home for Thanksgiving or Easter. I think visiting another family for a holiday can teach you a lot about different family dynamics, about who you are, and what you appreciate about your own family and traditions.
Call your parents (and grandparents)
While you may be just fine, your mom might not. Or maybe you're a wreck and you don't want your dad to worry about you. Well guess what, your parents are definitely worried about you and many don't want to "intrude" on your new found independence at college. Call them anyway, even if its just for 5 minutes on your way to class. They'll appreciate it, and odds are, you'll feel better too. (Same goes for grandparents. They're not going to be around forever and once they're gone you'll regret not spending more time getting to know them.)
Take a random class
Learn about something new! My sophomore year I took one quarter of Greek. Do I remember any of it? Not really. Do I really need to know Ancient Greek? Probably not at all. But it was a good experience and now I can say, "Yeah one time I took Greek in college..."
And most importantly...
Be a good friend
This will look differently for everyone, but college is a great time to truly get to know people. And its the only time in your life when you will be living with your best friends. Be there for them. Love them. Pray for them. And most importantly be good to them, just like you would want them to be to you.
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| 2008- my first roomie and one of my best friends |
Can I also just say I'm very thankful that we all grow up and don't stay 18 forever? Who thought those double braids were a good idea? yikes.
Happy back to school, college kids!
:D oh college! So many good times and yes thankfully we DO grow up. Love the list. Great advice for sure and bring back lots of fun memories. <3
ReplyDeleteGood advice, Emily! Hard to believe SPU is just now starting classes - wow. Thanks for being the BEST of friends and roomies to my darling daughter. <3
ReplyDeleteWell said! Yes we did appreciate the random 5 minute call between classes. Love you sweet angel girl!
ReplyDelete