It is sad for me to admit that I haven't written in over a year.
Not here nor anywhere else. At least not for me. I've written
for school and work. But not for me. So tonight, on the eve of my
last day of college, I thought it appropriate that I write for me. And
maybe a little bit for you too. We'll see...
I actually spent the evening writing.
My last college paper. As an English major, I've written my fair
share of papers, but none as emotional as this one. It was a pretty
simple one actually - just a reflection on what I learned in the class.
But somewhere in the last page, it turned into a reflection on the last
six years of my life. A year and a half of which I spent as a missionary
for my church. My time in Cache Valley as well as my time in California
has taught me more than just what was taught in classrooms or in books.
And I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Benjamin Franklin said, "An
investment in knowledge pays the best interest."
I have invested more than I ever thought I
would while attending college, and I'm not just talking monetarily.
(Although that was quite an investment!) And you know what?
That Ben Franklin was right! So far the interest has been tenfold, and I
expect it will keep coming. So, in my meager attempt at coping with
change and entering the real world, I thought I'd share some my nuggets of
wisdom gained as a college student.
1. Its okay to fail. It
turns out, I'm human. As we all are. And the fact of the matter is
we are going to fail. Sometimes it’s Math 1050 and sometimes it's more
than that, but in those failures we can learn some of life's greatest lessons.
And I learned that no matter how many times I take that class, I'm never
going to be good at math :) (I do hope you realize I'm talking about more
than just math here.)
2. Everyone is just as worried about
what you think about them as you are of what they think about you. I'm still not perfect at not caring what
others think, but I'm a lot better. As I've learned to do what I want to
do without worrying what others are thinking, I've found that I'm a lot happier
and more confident, which is how I wanted others to see me anyway. So relax,
be you, and you'll realize there was nothing to worry about in the first place.
3. Don't be a snob. In my religion we have the
opportunity to receive a special blessing, called a Patriarchal Blessing, which
serves as a guide or road map for life. It promises blessings as you live
faithfully, and sometimes it gives warnings. In mine it warns me not be a
snobby kind of person, but to seek friends from all walks of life. I
never thought I was snobby or judgmental, but I made a decision my freshmen
year of college that I would be friendly and kind to everyone. I probably
wasn't perfect in that resolve, but as I made an effort to be a friend to everyone and not just
people whom I thought would make me look cool or would benefit me in some way,
I've developed some of the most meaningful relationships with some of the most
unlikely people. And for that I am grateful.
4. Sometimes your only available
transportation is a leap of faith. Margaret Shepard said that. I wish it was me, but I
only became so wise in college. Really though, taking a leap of faith can
be the hardest thing to do, but rarely, if ever, does it leave you flat on your
face. Sometimes you know where you want to be, but you don't know how to
get there. And when that happens you usually need to trust and step into
the dark. I truly believe in the living reality of God. I know He
has a plan for us, and that plan is not for us to fail. He just asks us
to have faith in Him. Faith, people. Faith brings answers. Faith
brings blessings!
5. Education doesn't stop when school does. This
one may be premature seeing as I am still in school. For one more day at
least. However, I am a firm believer that life is an education if only we
will allow ourselves to be taught. I've learned so much in college, and
all my years of schooling prior to it, but more than anything I've learned how
to learn. And I think that is the most important thing a person can do.
If you are humble, teachable, and willing to work, you really can do
anything you want.
So there you have it. Growing up is
hard, and graduating college is scary, but I've done what I came to do, and I
got more than I thought I would. I've truly loved my time at USU and I'll always be an Aggie, but now it's time to move on. So, ready or not, here it goes!
