Advice From A College Graduate

To all the 2020 seniors out there, I know your senior year of high school did not go the way you wanted it to. But, college is right around the corner, and with it comes some very uncharted teritory. So, here is some sage advice from a college graduate:⠀

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* Enjoy the journey while it lasts; don’t try and rush through everything⠀

* Failing is okay - it is what you do after that matters ⠀

* Take the extra class, do the extra credit assignment, run that extra mile - everything “extra” that you do defines you and your future (regardless of what it is) ⠀

* Don’t dwell on negative things that people say or do - school (especially middle and high school) are just a fraction of your life ⠀

* Focus on the quality of people that surround you, not the quantity ⠀

* Breathe. Take some time for yourself - you deserve it ⠀

* Respect your elders - especially your parents ⠀

* Make mistakes, but learn from them⠀

* Be yourself, unapologetically⠀

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I spent the vast majority of my time in school trying to prove something to others. I can’t tell you how many times I cried myself to sleep, beat myself up for an A-, or belittled myself and my accomplishments. I rushed through my undergraduate because I wanted to “be better” and “prove myself” to the people that bullied me in middle school and high school. Now, I look back now and reflect on the countless hours I spent studying, all the times I told friends I couldn’t hang out because I had school work, and the sadness I felt because of it. And you know what? The only thing I regret is that I didn’t enjoy the journey and the process of it all. Sometimes, we can be so focused on crossing the finish line that we forget to enjoy everything that leads up to it. Take it from me, life isn’t a race, and it’s definitely not a competition. So enjoy the time you have, appreciate each success and failure along the way, and don’t forget to stop and smell the flowers 🌷