What I learned in College

This post is long overdue, but I am just accepting that I graduated and will not be returning to LFC this week like many of my friends. Better late than never..right?

1) Life's not fair.
Yes, this is a lesson that we are taught at a young age, but throughout my time in college, I have been exposed to so many inequalities. Rather than try to save the day and understand everything, I had to simply accept that life's not fair. Acknowledging this fact also empowered me to change and effect the things that I do have the power to change.

2) Always do things for yourself.
You can't please everybody and sometimes people just don't care. But if you continue to be your own motivation and trust that you are making positive decisions, in the end you will always come out on top.

"Do what you feel in your heart to be right - for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't." -Eleanor Roosevelt

3) Care for others.
This one also fulfils lesson #2. When you help others, you help yourself. Also, we wouldn't be where we are if it were not for the help of many others, so why not do the same for someone else?

4)Sometimes you just need to listen.
I'm typically someone who like to listen, but then try to fix the situation (especially if it involves a friend). However, I learned that sometimes that friend just needs someone to hear the problem at hand.
Also, I tend to be the bearer of sassy comments and backtalk... also learned that there is a time and place...even if I'm right. Just listen, and let it be.

5)Know who you are. Don't apologize for being you.
This is incredibly important so that when someone else tries to tell you who you are, you are already assured in yourself of the qualities and character that you possess.

6) Fix it or shut up...
I hate complaining!! Worse than that, I hate complainers who seem to find pleasure in complaining! I don't want to hear it! *woo sah* ...I know that we all complain: about finals, professors, food in the caf, reslife, etc. Take your 5 mins of complaining and leave the rest to the universe unless you're going to do something about it. *end rant*

7) Observation to Obligation
M.K. Asante introduced the mantra observation to obligation during my senior year. If you make an observation, it becomes your obligation to do something about it. If you don't, who will? We cannot simply rely on someone else feeling so compelled to be the change that we want to see.

8) Everyone doesn't always have your best interest in mind.
Everyone isn't a nice person, and everyone doesn't always care. It's a cold world.

9) It's okay to afraid or unsure...
...still working on this one. But, I do believe that this is where a lot of my procrastination stems from.

10) Pick your battles
Sorry to say, everything is not worth fighting for... not all the time, and not at the same time.

11) Take advantage of everyday
For my last year, it was my goal to enjoy everything so that I didn't get to the last 2 weeks and try to hang out with everybody and do everything during finals. I feel like I accomplished this goal and was able to leave college with a content mindset (regardless of the realm of uncertainty that lies ahead).

12) Live without regrets
Regardless of the consequences or unforeseen nature of the decisions we make, we cannot regret them happening. What we did or what happened was exactly what we wanted at that time. This pertains to friendships, classes taken, procrastinating, nights out, things said, etc.

13) The reason people don't change is because we don't let them.
In our eyes, once someone messes up, they can almost never do anything right. We continue to expect them to fail unless they are otherwise scheming. When really, they have already moved on and are making strides towards being an even better person. Let the past be the past and look for the good in the situation. If that means living with no expectations from that person/those people, do that, take everything for face value, and keep living your life.

14) "Dear friends, buy used books for class. not because they are cheaper, but because they come with highlights, underlines and if you're lucky, notes, making last minute paper writing more than manageable." -Niharika Jain

15) Everything happens for a reason.
I am a true believer that I was meant to be at Lake Forest College, to be the leader that I've been, and to meet the people who I've met. Even when things seemed catastrophic, it was meant to be so that I could be the person who I am today.