Top 10 Lessons from My Undergrad Experience

Wow! I never knew I could see four years of my life fly by as quickly as they did for my undergrad in college. Of course, people hype college up before you get there but there were some things I wish I would have known prior to attending college. My mindset and plans would gone a lot differently than they had. I guess that is the importance of learning and experiencing. I had to be honest with myself and do this post. Here are some things I personally learned from my four years of undergrad.

10. Ramen noodles are not everyone's best friend.

Everyone hyped up ramen noodles before I got to college. Fortunately, I did not eat as much of it as I was "supposed" to?? I received a big basket full as a high school graduation gift and I remember eating maybe 2 packets... other than that, I found my love for peanut butter which is still my addiction until today. You can use it for a variety of snacks and meals. Very versatile.

9. The Freshmen 15 is not the only thing you have to worry about.

When it comes to health and self-care, working out in the gym to avoid the Freshmen 15 is not the only concern you should have. I have had phases of "let me go work out today" but I found that snacking became a huge problem for me since I was always on the go. I snacked whenever, where ever which is not always the best habit to pick up. And of course, Freshmen 15 is not the only worry EVER in college.

8. The dorm life is to bless you, not curse you.

I learned so much about hygiene and living with others, I feel like I am a pro at it! I enjoyed living in dorms which are included in tuition. I was amongst other students from different backgrounds and I was close to the cafe! Now that I live in an apartment, I can see the benefits of dorm life a lot clearer now. No worrying about rent, buying your own furniture to fill a room, and it's harder to find roommates. You're also neighbors to anyone just, not students. Overall, I enjoy the freedom of an apartment (no RA's or quiet hours) but I also enjoyed the fun times of dorm life.

7. Reward yourself now for the things you are doing now.

My mindset until senior year was to reward myself later for the hard work I was doing now. However, it just made me work harder and get closer to burn out. I also never remembered to reward myself. If I would have known the importance of rewarding myself, I would have gotten more things accomplished and been less stress when completing tasks and work.

6. Do not take "no" for an answer.

When it came to studying abroad, all I heard was no. Little did I know that there were different ways of studying abroad. Finally, I found out about a class that went exactly where I wanted to go, Paris. I learned that "no" does not mean it will never happen but to find other ways around it.

5. Say "no" more often.

One word to describe me during my college career was OVERCOMMITTED! I never said no to anything and I got stuck in the "6 feet wide, 3 feet deep" instead of the "3 feet wide, 6 feet deep" theory. Additionally, I had to learn to say "no" to things I never spoke up against before. For example, I found my passions in race and women's issues. I needed to say no to some things that I typically let go in one ear and out the other. Racist and sexist comments and ideologies that were said around me, I felt it was my responsibility to speak against them and say no. This helped start conversations and lead to educating one another.

4. You do not have to be as busy and involved as you were in high school.

This goes with #5. I stayed in many organizations and clubs as I did when I was in high school. Someone told me to not do that and stick with my interests but I found myself interested in many things. Not only was I interested in these things but found that my skills were needed to improve certain areas in the club or organization. I found myself speed walking everywhere and hands getting down and dirty every time I turned around. I had fun doing it and met a lot of cool people but I wore my down as well and could not put 100% into everything.

3. The point of the college life is to network THEN experience.

If someone would have told me that the purpose of college is to network, I would have done and said things a lot differently. Freshmen year especially I made some enemies and throughout my college career, jumped from friend group to friend group and burned bridges without care. If I would have known those same things were going to come back and bite me, I made wiser decisions and cleared up miscommunication. Networking skills and the relationships you create with people is the most important thing to learn and to receive during your college experience. See it as a professional networking event instead of fun and games, and you'll be fine.

2. The relationships you make are more valuable than you think.

This came from #3. I learned a lot of things from the relationships I had in college whether they turned out to work out/last or not. The people in my life taught me many things about myself and my surroundings. I would not be who I am if it had not been for the people and the experiences they gave me (like I said, good or bad). Even in my family life, I had no clue how big of an impact and influence I had in their lives... I underestimated it and found that they will always be there for me. I wouldn't trade any of my family, the people, or experiences in my life.

AND THE TOP LESSON FROM MY UNDERGRAD EXPERIENCES IS...

1. Do things for you.

The best advice I could give to anyone, especially in college. Don't sit around and wait for other people to do things for you or give you anything. Don't follow the crowd; they will cause you to miss opportunities and blessings that are meant for you. I had to learn that myself. Since then, I made sure I did things for myself because I wanted to and things that I would enjoy. At the end of the day, it is my life; I have to deal with my actions, thoughts, and words and potentially face God on judgment day.

Well, I survived college and was happy to graduate on Saturday, May 7, 2016! I hope you find this helpful and honest. Feel free to share with any incoming freshmen or comment your own experiences and advice.