4 years...Reminiscing about College

In less than one month, I will begin my final year at the University of New Hampshire. It feels so surreal because I remember being a high school senior so vividly and now here I am, 4 years later (gap year, remember?), about to embark on my senior year of college.

4 years.

4 years when you're a kid feels like forever. 4 years as a child means getting taller, moving up a few shoe sizes, aging from single digits to double digits. 4 years as a child feels like forever because the changes that take place are often tangible. Post high school, time accelerates. The years become harder to define and often blur together a bit. This blur is very obvious during those magical college years.

Only, they aren't so magical.

I firmly believe that the most important lessons you learn in college take place outside of the classroom. Sure, debating the ethical principles of human experimentation is eye-opening but it pales in comparison to the experiences you gain in the "college real world."

College often feels like a reality show. There are moments where you're almost expecting some hipster producer to jump out and point out all of the hidden cameras while shouting, "Gotcha! You're on Candid Camera!" I really recommend writing down some of these experiences because they only get weirder as time passes.

And time will pass. Quicker than you think.

As a freshman, you'll be so naive and eager. College, to many, is synonymous with freedom so there is always potential for anything to happen hence the reality show comparison. It's fun but it's also easy to lose yourself this year. Everyone seeks out a second family of sorts because, well, the people you live with are all you've got!

My college experience has been a little unorthodox. I set aside the party lifestyle for a more real approach. I studied hard and worked hard. Let me tell you, it isn't always easy seeing everyone around you go out and have fun. In fact, I've lost many friends because of that. Some people see college as "one big party before reality hits" but I've always viewed it as 4 years to work really hard, push myself to be the best I can be, and by the end, be able to boast a stellar resume.

Here's the thing - you can't list all of the ragers you've been to on a resume. Or talk about them in a job interview. The only times in your life that it will be appropriate to talk about your wild college years will be a parties with fellow partiers. Oh, you used to get blackout drunk and sing Britney Spears songs? In the real world, no one cares.

Make sure that at the end of your 4 years you're proud of who you are and what you've accomplished. You are spending literally thousands of dollars to go to college so make sure you get your money's worth. Take advantage of making connections, joining clubs, and work study jobs (Note: no matter how many hours you've worked you will always struggle financially hence the ever-popular #BrokeCollegeKid saying).

When I throw my cap in the air at graduation, I know I'm going to be proud of myself. Our society is ever-changing but the value of hard work will always remain the same.

The 8 Year Old Me (Inspirational Friday)

I was a shy child. I sat in my desk at school, quietly taking notes and listening intently to my teacher. I was a good student with a few close friends. Middle school is where it all changed for me. I was still shy but I no longer had those close friends (they were at the middle school across town). I had glasses, braces, and acne galore. After school, I would return home and play American Girl dolls with my sister. We were obsessed with the Bratz TV show and pretended our dolls were Cloe, Yasmin, Sasha, and Jade. My sister and I always looked up to the Bratz because beyond their long hair, perfect makeup, and amazing wardrobe, they were 4 unstoppable best friends who instilled a sense of girl power into the viewers and taught girls everywhere that anything is possible. But in middle school, my dreams felt far from possible.

There's a quote that reads: if your 8 year old self met you, would they be proud? This happened to pop into my head during my shower today and got me thinking. If 8 year old me met the current me, I think she'd be awestruck. I don't think she would've expected me to be such a confident and successful woman. She would love that I live near Old Orchard Beach (somewhere 8 year old me always wanted), found an amazing boyfriend, and still remain a child at heart. Above all, she would admire that I grew up to be just like the Bratz - fearless, ambitious, kind-hearted, and creative.

We grow up each and every year. Sure we grow physically from birth to ~18 years but we are always growing. Since moving to college I've had to stand up for myself more, learn to argue effectively (#roommatessuck), manage my time, cook actual meals, etc. My surgery was a year ago and going from trying to have sex to not being able to have sex to crying about not being able to have sex to going to therapy because that was the only option left to finally having sex was a huuuge deal and that was only 4 months! My point here is that we are constantly growing from week to week, month to month, year to year.

I think it's so important to take some time and think about how much you've grown as a person. Back to the quote I used at the beginning, I almost think it'd be cooler to travel back in time and visit your 8 year old self. Just to take a moment to talk to her and say, "Hey, it's gonna be alright. This is what you're life will be like in 'x number of years.'" Maybe then growing up wouldn't be so scary.