College: Living, Laughing and Learning

yes, it still happens.  that dreaded feeling.  sometimes, you still get lonely and homesick.  sometimes, you wish that people were more like you or had the same values as you, but you only meet a few people with the same exact stick to values and a will that doesn’t bend in different situations.

i’ve never felt the need for others to like me.  i used to be intimidated by good-looking guys, but now they don’t phase me.  it’s interesting - life is.  

disappointment comes back again and again, but you’ve got to find friends who aren’t going to leave you or not love you for who you are.  you’ve got to find friends who’ll accept you and build you up.  it’s hard.  you might go through stages where you see certain things more clearly, and your relationships and perceptions change.

be NOT afraid of change. 

instead, be afraid of NOT being true to yourself because that’s what you’ll see in college - people not being true to themselves or people compromising their values or people not keeping their word.  you’ll see life.  you’ll see weaknesses; you’ll hear excuses, you’ll get disappointed, but you’ll still be amazed every once in a while.

and the people you find who’ll stick with you no matter what; you’ll find people who resonate with you; you’ll find people who will know when you’re not okay even if you say it’s okay; look for them, never compromise yourself.

and the rest don’t matter.

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” - Dr. Seuss

College is one of the best times to find your identity, to do everything you have ever wanted.  It challenges you to think about what you want for your life - not what your parents want, not what your friends are doing, not for status, not for the world to see; but for you.

My new year’s resolution to start exercising has been very successful.  I have been using the bike, elliptical, and running machine every other day for about 45 minutes.  I started small and achieved big - I slowly started to strengthen my heart by doing cardio.  I felt better, gained more energy, and loved that I was keeping my goals.

Procrastination is a big challenge for college students.  I’ll put it off.  I’ll do it later.  I have the rest of my life to do it.  I have a lot of time.

Life sneaks up on you.  The paper you had due three weeks from now is due tomorrow; you’re waiting for the summer to start running and now it’s winter… so do what you must.

Make decisions that will make you happy and at peace.  Implement your goals.  Baby steps at a time until you get comfortable walking.  This idea seems so simple, but it’s hard.

For instance, eating healthy has always been a goal of mine.  It was also a new year’s resolution.  The more I waited to cut back on the fatty burgers or chips, the more I wanted to eat unhealthy food.  However, when I came back for this semester, I took advantage of Vandy’s meal plan and bought Naked juices and cereal for breakfast instead of eating the regular old bacon.  I ate oatmeal and fruit on a weekly basis.  I even started picking up soy milk for snacks.  I slowly started eating less carbs and less protein - I DID NOT go anorexic; I merely followed my hunger.  If I was hungry, I ate.  If I wasn’t, I didn’t stuff my face like I did last semester.  College is the time for you to take a look in the mirror and LIKE what you see!  

If you wanted to try student government, dance, consulting club, hiking - whatever it is you want to do - Vandy provides!! Wilskils (an outdoor program) has been extremely successful. I’m going to DC (and I’ve never been before) with Alternative Spring Break to work with AIDS patients and AIDS education programs.

It’s amazing how many opportunities you truly have here… it’d be such a shame to realize that you wanted to try something new and you had the opportunity to do it, but you didn’t take advantage of it.  I have a friend who recently picked up MODEL UN and LOVED it! He is now going to Monterrey for a very minimal cost!

Ah - I love college! :]