5 lessons that college has taught me

Going into college everyone always tells you "these are the best years of your life" "these next 4 years are as good as it gets!" I didn't believe this when I was a freshman and as a senior, I definitely don't believe it now. Not because it was a bad experience, but because I don't ever want to reach a point in my life where my best years are behind me. I want to continue to grow as a person and make this life the best that it could possibly be. I want to always look ahead to the future and say they are going to be the best days of my life because I am constantly growing and evolving.

With that being said, I have done a lot of reflecting on the past four years and the different things that I have gone through. I narrowed it down to my 5 biggest lessons that I learned in college. These are lessons that I intend on taking with me throughout the next stages of my life to continue to make every year the next best year of my life.

1. You are allowed to grow

I recently had a conservation with an old friend of mine. In this conversation we were discussing our morals and beliefs on a certain topic. My friend made a comment along the lines of "you can't say that, you did the same thing a year ago." A year ago. Keywords: a year ago. Over the past year I have grown tremendously in every sense of the word. I would not go back to the person I was a year ago if someone paid me, and that is OK. Growing is a part of life. Changing and evolving is a part of life. If there's one thing I know, it's that I never want to be in the same position as I was years before. I want to move forward, I want to adapt, and I want to continue finding myself.

Growth is also not something you ever have to apologize for. In life you are going to outgrow people, especially in college when you're finding yourself. You don't have to apologize for that. You don't even have to give an explanation for it. Understand that you are always growing and give that same consideration to everyone else in your lives as well.

2. If it's meant to be, it will be

What a cliche, right? Everyone has heard this phrase as some point. It tends to go in one ear and out the other. To me it's a little deeper. It keeps me grounded.

Worry and anxiety is something that is prevalent in our society today. Having faith in knowing that whatever God has meant for us will be for us, leaves me with a constant peace of mind. It's not that I don't worry or struggle with anxiety (it's a major thing I struggle with) it's that I no longer let it control me.

The amount of time that I've wasted stressing about things that I have no control over could last a lifetime. I could have continued on like this for the rest of my life and been miserable. When I got baptized last August my whole perspective changed. Thankfully one of the major changes, was how I deal with not knowing. I still get stressed out, I still worry, and I still have anxiety. But I also now make an active effort to remind myself that whatever the Good Lord has planned to happen, will happen with or without my stress and worry. No amount of worry or anxiety can come between you and what is meant for you.

3. Everything happens for a reason

Another cliche, right? But it is so so true. When I made the decision to transfer for my junior & senior year of college I was in a miserable place. I was unhappy with myself so therefore I was unhappy with everything and everyone around me as well. I wasn't sure exactly how transferring was going to make me happier, but I knew I needed to do something.

It took me a year at my new school to really see the reasoning God had behind moving me to a new school. Lindenwood has given me so many opportunities, career wise, that I never would have gotten at Missouri Western on a college athletes' schedule. It also forced me to grow. My entire life I was able to find my identity in being an athlete, but I no longer was one. I needed to find myself outside of soccer and I have. It wasn't easy and there were so many times that I would regret my decision to transfer. Reflecting on it now, I know this was right where I needed to be during that time.

You might not always be able to find the reason right away, but God never makes a move without a plan. Have faith.

4. Everyone has something to offer

I came from a very privileged background. The only lifestyle that I had ever known was the same lifestyle that all of my friends had lived as well. It was a bit of culture shock when I got to college for my freshman year. I wasn't used to all of the different cultures and backgrounds that were all around me.

Over the years, I have made some of the closest and most meaningful relationships with people that I never would've thought I would be friends with. And this was no fault of their own, it was me staying in my little bubble and never branching out. Now I couldn't imagine my life without these people.

College has taught me that just because someone or something is different doesn't mean it's wrong. The more versatility that you surround yourself with, the more you'll learn. Everyone has something to offer and everyone can teach you something. Be open to it and let it help you grow as a person as well.

5. Money isn't everything

This might be one that ya'll want to argue with me about buuuut, what're ya gonna do? Trying to find your career in college is a job in and of itself. On this journey, most people focus on the wrong part: the money. Now I am not saying that this is not important because it is obviously a huge deal. Most people have bills and a family to take care of and it is important to do what you have to do to take care of them. BUT, money is not everything. You could make the most money in the world and still be miserable if you are not doing something that you truly love and care about.

I learned this first hand through my internships. My first internship was an unpaid position at a nonprofit. I loved what I did but I needed money. So the semester after I took an internship position at an engineering firm that paid AMAZING for a college internship. But I hated it. I loved the money, but I hated going in to work everyday. I loved my coworkers and the atmosphere of the firm but I hated the work I was doing and found no meaning in it. After staying there for 8 months I knew that I needed a change. I found another position at a nonprofit (paid this time) and I knew this was what God was calling me to do.

Making the decision to pursue a career in nonprofits automatically assigns me to a salary that will be less than the same exact position in a corporate world. This is something that I have come to terms with because I know it is what I have a passion for and will make me fulfilled.

Money isn't everything, it is a lot, but it's not everything.

College is such an amazing time in your life. It's a time to branch out and experience new places, new people, and things. Don't ever pigeonhole yourself into staying in one place as the same person your whole life.

Sincerely,

KU :)