It’s time to set down those textbooks and replace them with an effervescent glass of champagne. As another semester comes to a close, so too does another year. Whether you’re relieved, apprehensive or just plain exhausted, one thing can’t be denied: 2014 taught us a lot. Here’s to the new year and going into it wiser (at least a little bit). Here’s a few things College Magazine writers learned this year.
1. Everything is relative.
“I tend to get bogged down by every little thing that isn’t going great; whether it be my preparedness for a test or forgetting to go to the gym on a busy day. This semester has shown me that everything eventually works out if you’re doing your best.” -Maggie MacDonald, Penn State University
2. The small things add up.
“If it takes less than five minutes, do it now. It’s much easier getting small things out of the way than letting them all pile up.” -Kendall Russell, Penn State University
3. Prioritize.
“Getting an A is great, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of earning job experience and enjoying college is general.” -Daniel Kuhn, Penn State University
4. You can’t do it all.
“When you try and do 30 things at once, you’re constantly overwhelmed and can’t do your best. Focus on doing one or two things well, and don’t stress about the rest.” -Sydney Brodie, University of Florida
5. Do things for yourself and no one else.
“I always thought I had to try and impress people and man, was that exhausting. I have come to find that I am my own person and I have to do things for me and if it so happens that I make friends along the way so be it!” -Chelsea Dimmig, Penn State University
6. Staying busy is the spice of life.
“I learned that keeping myself busy makes me happy, whether it’s school work, exercising or cooking. One day I had nothing to do, I almost went crazy. So I ended up deep cleaning my whole apartment.” -Laura Durkalec, Florida State University
7. Things will fall apart…and then into place.
“It is true that when one door closes another opens. When you think everything is going wrong it helps you look at other opportunities that you usually may have not been interested in.” -Leigha Hinds, University of Florida
8. Keep your head high (and your standards higher).
“I learned that when life puts you in a difficult situation you must handle it with grace and dignity. I had a terrible roommate situation this semester. Instead of stooping down to his level (i.e. posting insulting things about me on social media) I kept my cool and dealt with the situation in a mature manner. Trust me, you’ll get what you want that way.” -Alyssa Aguero, University of Florida
9. The world doesn’t revolve around your GPA.
“College is all about the opportunities you get and the experiences you gain, not markings on your transcript. I learned this while freaking out over a class that made it next to impossible to obtain a good grade. No matter how hard I worked, I wasn’t going to get a perfect score, but it was the class I learned the most in.” -Paige Levin, University of Florida
10. Know when to relax.
“I learned that sometimes a glass of wine and movies with friends on a Saturday night is just as good as going out.” -Paulina Jayne Isaac, Temple University
11. Never underestimate the power of networking.
“Many of the opportunities I’ve been given for internships/future jobs have been through people I had networked with at campus events and student organizations. Never pass up a chance to network and make it a point to put yourself out there…You’d be surprised how much that makes a difference.” -McKenna West, University of Wisconsin-Madison
12. Comparing is a waste of time.
“I often get caught up trying to do what I think I’m meant to be doing instead of what I actually want to be doing. This year taught me that what others think about you is none of your concern. Conversely, you shouldn’t be worried about if others are better or worse off than you. Embrace your own path and the ups and downs that come with it.” -Madison Rutherford, San Francisco State University
