I'm at the point in my life where I'm caught at this awkward in between stage of feeling ancient around high school and middle schoolers and feeling like a baby around people twice my age (which I suppose I should.) It's right around the time that prom dresses are being bought, people are having their first jobs, and posting pictures of their acceptance letters to their schools of choice. I don't know if I ever had the excitement that surrounds their decisions. I kind of just went with the flow and decided to see where the wind would take me. A part of me wishes that I could go back and totally change the way I did things, where I went to school, what I wore, what sports I played...you get the gist of it. I've learned a lot of grown up life lessons in my short time here and most of them are ones that you will begin to learn as you start growing older and getting ready to graduate from college.
1. Your dream school may not be the best fit for you. Let's be honest, VCU was my dream school. I had wanted to go there since my sophomore year of high school, wanted the Alpha Sigma Alpha Epsilon Gamma Chapter, and wanted to live in a cute little exposed brick apartment downtown. Don't get me wrong, Richmond holds a huge piece of my heart from the cute little cafes to my favorite people to the shops that can do no wrong. But that's a small part of it. I got into ASA which was fabulous and I will always be thankful for the opportunity and the wonderful relationships I built there. The school aspect wasn't something I anticipated. College really was harder and I wasn't prepared for it. Your school should be based on more than your legacy, the social activities, and program of study. It needs to be based on how you learn and how the college or university helps you learn at YOUR speed. That's why Liberty is such a good fit. The school and professors constantly help me, make sure I understand the curriculum, and provide me with opportunities to expand the knowledge I already have.2. Your first heartbreak isn't the end of the world. Obviously I'm still alive, I've met the man that I plan on spending my life with, and I am on the right track towards a great career. I'm not telling you that all of the tears that you spent crying over whatever guy(s) aren't worth it...but they really aren't. The guy that broke your heart didn't see your true worth or appreciate the fantastic woman that you are or would grow into. I remember my first heartbreak, but now it's like it was a dream and barely happened. Spending a few days upset over the guy that wasn't going anywhere in life was a week wasted. It's ok to cry but suck it up and move on. Do something productive and let the right one find you. Because trust me, the more you chase after love, the further away it will run.3. You will change what you want to do in life more than once. This is me. I have gone from wanting to be a designer, to wanting to be a stylist, to wanting to do web design...I even considered being a pre-school teacher once. I'm sure y'all can't picture that at all. I think I had a slight lapse in judgment. The point is that you are going to have multiple passions and skills that you discover and you don't simply have to settle on one for your career. Right now, I may have a problem with time management...but I have my own Etsy shop, work doing graphic design, and do mass amounts of social media. Do you know what? I LOVE every minute of it. You can change your mind and you will. So don't get down when people ask you what you want to do and you have no idea what to tell them.4. College IS reinventing yourself. It's a rare occasion when someone says that they didn't change a bit in college. Everyone changes. Everyone. I look back and despise the person I was in high school. It's a growth period. You look back and see how tacky you may or may not have been, the group of friends you held, and the way you behaved. What you valued in high school differs in extreme amounts from what you value by the time you graduate from college. Missing a party on Friday night after the football game will not ruin your life as much as you think it might. If you lose a friend during the span of high school, it's ok. You are both going your separate paths and each of you will learn different lessons throughout your lives. When you get to college, be who you've always wanted to be. So you want to change your style? Do it! I know I took advantage of a new city, new faces, and new surroundings. Who are you? Be her!5. Save. There are so many articles online and in print that you can read telling you to blow all of your money, to live paycheck to paycheck. Unfortunately, this isn't realistic if you want to live past your 21st birthday. In fact if your parents ever have the grand idea to cut you off one summer when you are away in your college town, you'd better believe that working even two jobs will barely make the bills. This is reality. I learned the hard way and am working my way out of debt that I've acquired over the course of my college years. It was so much fun to throw my card at the cashiers and say "put it on my card" in some funky almost European accent. But getting those bills and STILL paying those bills off isn't fun. It's downright awful. If you are still in high school, start a savings account now and keep that money for a rainy day. That shirt you think you need at TJ Maxx will be in your "for Goodwill" bag a few months down the road. Having money is a privilege which having a credit card can quickly take away. Make smart decisions and you will reap the rewards later.Take my advice and run with it...or don't. This is the time in your life where you will be able to discover the best you that YOU can possibly be without anyone else speaking into it! xo
