College is a whirlwind of new things and experiences, anyone
that is enrolled or graduated will testify to that, but if I could give my high
school self some advice, this is what I would say.
1.
Things aren’t
always black and white.
Sure there is right and wrong, but there is a reason
behind everything that people choose to do. Try and see the world from their
perspective you might just be surprised how much you learn from them.
2.
Study…
harder.
College is way harder than I ever anticipated and even
though I studied hard in high school, you can form study habits that will help
you in the long run. Sure it will stink and you might catch FOMO (fear of
missing out) early in life, but it is worth it. Promise.
3.
Be nice to
your family.
Your family cares for you more than you will ever
fathom, and they will literally jump through any hoop to help you get to where
you want in life. Yes, that includes Eric. Although you feel like his only goal
in life is to get on your last nerve, it is absolutely not true. Eric annoying
you is really him showing you that he loves you, in his weird twisted boy
logic.
4.
Judging is
overrated.
Stop worrying about what other people are doing with
their lives, or who is dating who. In the end it doesn’t matter and it is just
wasted energy trying to keep up with it all. Love everyone, and let the snide
comments roll off your back no matter how hard it might be. Jesus calls us to
love, so follow that, plus judging takes too much energy.
5.
These are
not the best days of your life.
High school sticks, so be prepared some of the
toughest lessons you will ever have to learn are going to happen. If you can
get through high school I honestly believe you can make it wherever you go in
life. Day one of college was 10 times better than your whole three years at
Southside high school were, so don’t
fret life isn’t always this dramatic.
6.
The brand
of clothes you wear/own means nothing.
Sure having brand name clothes is nice, and people are
dressing up for school every single day, but when you get to college kiss it
all goodbye. Everyone walks around in shirts so long they look like dresses and
norts (Nike Shorts). No one cares what car you drive, or really how much money
your family has. People care about who you are and the values you hold, so
start spending more time figuring that out, and save that money you were going
to spend on those shoes. They might be cute, but the shirt your sorority just
released on Houndstooth will be double the comfort, probably over half the
price and last a lot longer.
7.
High school
boys are gross.
Honestly dating in high school is super over rated. I
still have yet to see the point, so stop worrying about the cute boy in class
or whatever, trust me there will be plenty in college. By the way they are
taller, smarter, and way more fun.
8.
Friday
night lights really are a big deal.
You’ll have a game day in college too, but nothing
will beat the feeling of cheering on your best friends as the take the field.
Cherish the times you have cheering “Rebel” until you go horse, you’ll miss it
when you are in college trying to hold your life together.
9.
No one
cares how popular you were in high school.
Sometimes you might run into some people you had
classes with in high school, but that girl that was super popular and got
homecoming court every single year, she is just another freshman girl that
happens to be in a sorority. Being a big fish in a small pond doesn’t have any
indicator of your amount of friends in college. Trust me you’ll have so many
sorority sisters that you won’t even have time to keep up with the people you
knew in high school.
10. Pray.
Times are busy in college, and August of your freshman
year isn’t the time to choose to start having a super close relationship with
God. Establish that relationship before you get on campus, and then it will
make things way easier knowing that you have Him in your back pocket.
