What they don't tell you about college...

is that it's hard.


Okay, they tell you that all the time,

BUT...

 

they don't tell you why.

 

 

Maybe they do give you a reason or two but no one seems to understand it unless they're in it.

 

Even once they've gone through it, people don't remember the intensity of the frustration, the stress, the sleep depravity, the lack of motivation, the traumatization of paying tuition, the constant fatigue, the lack of motivation.

 

That last one's giving me a real run for my money right about now, big time.

 

In fact, I have an assignment due today, plus a draft of a final project I need to work on tonight that I should be working on right now...

 

We'll see how far I get, after this blog post of course.

 

What this post is meant to accomplish is to address a few of those things that make college hard and let you readers know about my experience, thoughts and opinions on the matters. In no ways am I an advice guru, but let's be real, I just don't want to do my homework.

 

 

First...

 

there's that trivial little matter of deciding what you want to study and which major to choose because that choice will determine which job you have for the rest of your life which will determine how happy you are which will determine how long you live...

 

You get the picture.

 

Well, I'm here to tell you something folks, all that blab in the paragraph up above? IT'S NONSENSE. Hear me out here...

 

When you're young, they tell you lots of things. That your major will determine your job, that you need to choose something that will look good on applications, that you need to know what you want to do when you start college and start studying whatever that something is as soon as you walk through the doors of your college or university on that first day.

 

I guess in some cases, those things are true, but all I can tell you is my experience and what my opinions are.

 

I've talked to people in the professional field before about what they look for in someone they hire and you wanna know what most of them have said about what degree they look for?

 

ANY.

 

Yup, you read that right. Any. Of course if you're going to be a doctor you've got to have a med. degree and lawyers obviously can't practice law without going to law school, but for the rest of us who don't really know what we want to do with the rest of our lives, I say...

 

DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO!!!

 

...and more specifically...

 

STUDY WHAT YOU WANT TO STUDY!!!

 

You don't have to do what anyone tells you to. If you're interested in art, then by all means, STUDY ART! If you think you'd be good at learning languages THEN TAKE CLASSES IN THAT! Find a major that has classes you WANT to take, because I promise you, college is hard enough when you're taking classes you're interested in, now add a [fill in the blank with a type of class you dread] class on top of that? SHEESH!

 

I guess what I'm saying is, you don't have to study what someone else tells you to or thinks you should. You can figure out how to use your major to help you get a job. Rather than spending countless hours finishing your chemistry homework or writing those blasted research papers, spend the time looking for internships/jobs/volunteer opportunities etc. in areas you're interested in to help you GET EXPERIECE and figure out what it is you want to do.

 

 

Second...

It's O.K. to fail.

 

What's that? I'm crazy?

 

Well let me say it again, and slower this time...

 

It is A.O.K. to fail.

Fail:

1. be unsuccessful in achieving one's goal.
2. neglect to do something.
3. a grade that is not high enough to pass an examination or test.

Type 'define fail' in your handy-dandy google search engine and that's what you'll find.

 

Anywhere in those definitions does it say "when you loose all worth" ? NO!

 

Just because you don't do well on a test, or an assignment, OR EVEN IF YOU FAIL A CLASS, that doesn't mean that you're worthless or that you've let yourself and everyone around you down, or that you should just quit trying.

 

Life exists so that we can make mistakes and so we can experience FAILURE along with SUCCESS.

 

Don't beat yourself if you don't do as well as you wanted or expected. Heck, don't even feel bad if you didn't try your best! You can't do "your best" at everything, that's physically, mentally, spiritually, and in every other way impossible. You've got to divide your time and effort between so many things in life and NOT JUST SCHOOL THINGS. You've got to make time for the other important things too, like exercise, family, friends, sleep, vegging... yes, even vegging.

 

I am a firm believer in the idea that vegging is important.

 

Vegging:

1. the act of sitting around and doing literally nothing, or maybe watching some Netflix.

You can't look that definition up anywhere, I made it up.

 

But seriously guys, TAKE TIME TO DO NOTHING.

 

Now when I say that do I mean that you should watch the whole first season of Vampire Diaries and write a huge long blog post instead of making that brochure that was due hours ago and starting on that encyclopedia proposal that's due on Thursday? Heavens no.

 

All I'm saying is that you've got to have balance.

 

And sometimes, homework doesn't necessarily need to be your first priority.

 

Figure out how to balance and prioritize your "to do" list, I promise it will make you happy.

 

 

Third...

 

One word,

 

CHOOSE.

 

 

CHOOSE your major.

 

CHOOSE your job.

 

CHOOSE your school.

 

CHOOSE your friends.

 

CHOOSE who you date.

 

CHOOSE what you spend your time doing.

 

CHOOSE what happens to you.

 

CHOOSE YOUR LIFE.

 

 

Don't just let life happen to you.

 

 

THIS JUST IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

You can make your life whatever you want it to be.

 

 

It's just a matter of CHOOSING.



 

 

 

 

Well...

that was fun.

 

I don't know if this blog post is what you expected it to be... or if it's what I expected it to be...

 

Heck, I don't even know what I expected it to be.

 

I just kinda blab my thoughts out on the keyboard.

 

And sorry, but I hate editing... yuck!

 

So there are probs a billion or so typos.

 

 

Until next time!