#collegelife Reflections

My #collegelife AND #HiLife will soon be over. In 11 days, to be precise. So in honor of this momentous end, I’ve decided to write about the joys of being a college student, and maybe some conventional wisdom I’ve attained. In list form, for your convenience.

1. A few really good friends are better than a thousand acquaintances.
Maybe this comes from growing up with two BEST friends, but I’ve learned the importance of close friendships– people who legitimately care about me as a person, and people who I feel for equally.

2. Sleep is literally a need.
I had the “sleep is an unnecessary luxury” mindset my first two years of college. Since then, I’ve learned that I’m a million times more effective if I have enough sleep. I feel so much more alive when I’m well-rested! And let’s be honest, nothing good goes down after 11:00pm anyway.

3. Pandora One is worth it. Netflix is not.
Some of my favorite college memories consist of my besties and me sitting on my bed, watching our show. The only show I’ve made it all the way through is Chuck, which I watched my Sophomore year. All the other shows (The Office, Psych, Once, and Gilmore Girls) met an untimely demise, and I’ve never gotten around to finishing them. As delightful as relaxing with friends and being entertained by your hilarious on-screen friends, I’ve learned that there are better ways to spend God’s time. By deleting my Netflix account (side note– the Netflix free trial is what got me watching shows to begin with! #brilliant) I suddenly had time for things like exercise and Conference talks and pleasure reading. Pandora One, on the other hand, is a complete joy.

4. It always works out when you put God first.
There’s not a lot I need to say about this. Keeping the Sabbath is one of my favorite commandments, because it has brought me so many blessings. Making weekly temple service and daily scripture study priorities opened the doors for all kinds of blessings. He ALWAYS keeps His promises.

5. Being single is not the worst fate to befall a person.
Not by a long shot. I admit, I would’ve liked to be married by the time I graduated. But I’m happy to announce that because of my extremely single status, I am footloose and fancy free. I can go wherever I please. Being single all through college allowed me to reach out in ways that I absolutely wouldn’t have been able to under other circumstances. It gave me relationships I wouldn’t have been able to develop otherwise. It gave me empathy and patience. It saved me heartache. It was great.

6. The Oxford Comma will ALWAYS be appropriate.
Nothing more needs to be said.

7. Thank you notes are never a bad idea.
I’ve had the fun experience on multiple occasions to see a note I wrote posted in a professor’s office or on a friend’s mirror, and it just makes me smile. Nobody doesn’t want to be appreciated, and I’ve learned that written appreciation goes a loooong way.

8. Expensive granola bars, man.
I hate spending money. Hate it. Besides rent and tuition, the only thing I really spend money on is food, and I’ve developed some weird spending habits when it comes to grocery shopping. A word to the wise: at the end of the day, the expensive granola bars are the best, and are legitimately worth their outrageous price. As for the expensive cereal, give me a break.

9. Setting goals and making plans is vital.
Daily and weekly planning are things I would NEVER do before my mission, but I’m happy to say I’m a changed girl in that aspect. Daily and weekly planning keep me organized in goals and plans, and keep me progressing. After all, if you aren’t progressing, you’re digressing.

10. Grades don’t matter.
It’s all about an education, which is absolutely not measured by your Grade Point Average. I was super externally motivated my grades throughout most of my college career, and I’ve come to realize that it just really doesn’t matter. Turns out grad schools don’t even really care about your GPA. #theSystem

11. Everyone has a story.
Judging a book by its cover limits you from a plethora of fantastic books that no one else is reading. When you take time to open the book and READ it, the results are stunning.

That’s it. Cheers.