6 Things I Picked up During My Time in College

Reflecting on my college days, I picked up a lot of helpful information throughout those two years. Undoubtedly, I left college with somewhat flying colours, but my education went beyond the boundaries of the lecture room.

The most essential pearls of wisdom I took with me had nothing to with textbooks; they involved figuring out (at times, the hard way) how to become a mature, independent adult. Additionally, the process involved understanding myself and what I craved for in life better.

For most of us, college is an arena; a platform for us to discover what excites us and what does not. Hence, the person we are on the first day of freshman orientation can feel lightyears away from the one who walks across the graduation stage.

Personally, my college years was priceless, not just for the course itself, but because it is where I ultimately upgraded myself to be a better human. Here are the fundamental lessons I picked up outside of the lecture room that I will never forget for the rest of my life.

1. It Pays Greatly To Have A Budgeting Plan

This is one wisdom I picked up through a gruesome experience. The money in my wallet would eventually dry out, and when it did, my parents were not there to give me additional allowances to keep me financially afloat.

I learned the significance of monitoring my income and expenses every month (which, realistically, I was a poor college student, so it was not much).

I calculated and monitored how much I needed to cover my bills and necessities and how much I could splurge on other non-important stuff.

2. The Dirty Laundry Will Not Clean Itself

In the household I grew up in, house chores were a norm. My mother would always give me a set of house chores to complete every week. None of them involved laundry because that was my mother’s responsibility. Once I lived by myself, I had to sort my own laundry out. After ruining countless pieces of garment because of not adhering to the washing symbols on clothes labels, I eventually acquired this necessary life skill.

3. Procrastination Hardly Yields Anything Beneficial

Throughout high school, I used to put off a task until the very last minute, then chug a can of energy drink and knock it out. Well, as it turns out, you cannot accomplish the same feat once you are given college assignments, especially when they involved teamwork and are large in size.

I discovered the significance of starting a big commitment early and then allocating a few hours daily to ensure that it is completed before the deadline. It is something I have carried over into the deadline-oriented reality.

4. Manage Your Time Or Time Will Manage You

From lectures to revising to parties and dodgeball games to my part-time job as a photographer, there were times I thought my head would implode at any moment. I wore myself out quickly, and my health and sanity began to fall apart.

However, I ultimately learned how to balance my time, and in a blink of an eye, everything was where it should be. I finally got adequate sleep and checked all the tasks off my list — tailgating with my friends included.

5. No One Really Has It All Figured Out

I had continuously thought that adults had pieced everything together. My teachers, parents, coaches, parents’ friends — they understood who they were, what they desired and where they saw themselves in the future.

One of the stunning revelations of adulthood for me was (and still is currently) that many of us are just along for the ride and doing the best we can.

6. Goals And Dreams Will Evolve Constantly

When I started my first year at college, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in software engineering. Two years later, I realised that it was not meant for me. Three years afterwards, I was interested in pursuing a career in management consulting. Today, my career has nothing to do with any form of consulting.

While a pleasant thing to possess, I learned that plans are always subject to constant change and should always be flexible. My dreams would continue to change as my age climbs, which did not make them any less important.

Moving Forward

My father always has a saying that he would reiterate to my sisters and me:

You do not know what you do not know. Life is all about learning more about the yourself and then, the world around you.

His words proved to be true in the past and remain true in the present, regardless of where I am in my life. I guess there are certain pearls of wisdom that never age.

Anyways, the point here is that as you grow, you start to come across new experiences, and each of those experiences is a trial and error game where you either acquire things that you will carry for the rest of your life or make mistakes that you do not wish to repeat in the future. All together, they transformed you to become a wiser, more mature individual.

Finally, it is worth noting that it is completely alright if everyone else has their lives sorted out except you. Everyone goes through life differently, which means each individual has their own unique pace. You are not late. You are not early. You are on time.

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Previously Published on Medium.

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