The transition from high school to college, from your teens to your twenties, can be really daunting. You might feel like a new person! Your twenties are meant for exploring your options, growth, and change. You have likely gained responsibilities and freedom since being in college and it is easy to lose balance in your life. In order to help you pursue the balance that we all desire, here are five actions that will help you to make the best out of your college experience!
- CARE LESS (ABOUT LESS IMPORTANT THINGS)
When I say this, I mean start caring less about what other people think of you, NOT to start caring less about school or your responsibilities. Since you have been out of high school for a couple years, it is time to let go of the negativity that comes with comparing yourself to others and thinking you have to dress a certain way. If you do not like what you ordered, send it back! If you no longer like your hair, change it! If you want to redecorate your room, do it! It is time to be confident in yourself, and realize that nobody in their twenties knows what they are doing.
In high school, I never did anything alone. I would not eat lunch alone, I would not go shopping alone, I would not even go through a drive alone. When I first realized I had to eat breakfast by myself, because none of my friends had the same schedule as me, I was terrified. Since I specifically asked for my parents to pay for the dining hall breakfast (because I love breakfast food), I knew I had to just do it. When I got to Penland, almost everyone was sitting alone. Since being in college, I have become more confident and comfortable with myself. I have started caring less about what people think of me because this is not high school. I realized that everyone is doing their own thing. If you do not like something in your life, you have the ability to change it. If someone is taking the time to judge you, then he or she is just not ready for the responsibility of analyzing his or her own life.
- GO OUTSIDE OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE
Now that you are living on your own, you have the opportunity to expand your horizons. This means you should do things you have never done before! Take these opportunities and make them into experiences you will not forget. You should do everything you are going to do to your fullest potential.
I love trying new things, and I know that doing those the things that seem scary will come with a great result. However, I’m the type of person who would be fine with lying in bed all day. This split in my personality makes me eager to try new things, but I am scared of actually doing them. Again, college has forced me to go through with things when I would have rather just stayed in bed. Yet when you are looking back at your college experience, I doubt you want to only remember naps. Get out there. Do something different!
- PAY ATTENTION TO THE NEWS
It is time to start paying attention to the world around you since you are technically an adult now. Since our generation is so technologically advanced, it’s really easy be updated on the news constantly. If you just want to get a quick dose of the news, Twitter is probably the easiest way to do this. Publications have started tweeting most everything that happens in the 140 characters, and if it catches your eye, you can always read the full article. You can also have breaking news and live updates come up as notifications on your phone.
My favorite way to read the news is by getting “Morning Briefings” from the New York Times to my email. Every morning I wake up with an email that tells me what happened last night and what’s happening today. Waking up early enough to enjoy reading these emails leads me to my next point.
- GET UP EARLIER
I know this is not what you want to hear. I am not saying to take 8am’s either. Simply getting up earlier can help you reduce stress and comes with health benefits. When you wake up with the sun, it leaves you with more time to be productive. When you wake up and get ready twenty minutes before class, you just do not feel prepared to learn. However, if you have time in the morning to read the news, drink coffee or tea, and not rush when you get ready, it can make a big difference in class. Read this article to learn how to become a morning person (I promise it works!): http://thelala.com/becoming-morning-person/
- REALIZE THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE TEMPORARY, AND THAT IS OKAY
In your twenties, you will meet a lot of temporary people. That girl in your chemistry class you studied with last semester, that boy you hung out with a few times who never turned out to be anything, that friend you lost touch with over the years. It could even be your significant other or best friend from high school who you never thought would be temporary. It is difficult to deal with, knowing that your friendship or relationship could have turned into something amazing. It is hard not to caught up in the “what if’s.” There will be people, however, that will stick by your side forever.
Bethany Dickerson is a freshman BIC student majoring in journalism.