Things I Wish I Would Have Known In College: A Guest Blog.
I am so excited for this special post! My sweet friend Morgan from Elena Mae is making a guest appearance on EM today to tell us about the eight things she wishes she would have known in college. I LOVE this list, and I hope you do, too!
Things I wish I would have known when I was in college...
1. Enjoy the sunshine. When graduation rolls around, and you find yourself starting a full-time job, your time spent in the sunshine will decrease immensely. College allows you to have a unique schedule, where the middle of your day may be free to roam around and see the world. Once you get inside the office, your daylight hours will be limited to the weekend.
2. Wear ALL of your favorite clothes, dresses, shorts, etc. These will become weekend clothes as well... And me being the dress and short-loving human that I am has made sure to find a job that allows me to have some creative liberty in my clothing, but we can't all be that lucky in our fields of work.
3. Study Abroad. Some people think they cannot afford this kind of experience, but many programs and schools offer week long abroad experiences that anyone can afford! There are scholarships, loans, and other forms of aid to assist in your success, so take advantage. If you are nervous about affording it now, it will not get easier once your loan payments kick in. This experience could be one that lands you a job, or amazing connections overseas!
4. Participate in as much as possible. Whether it is a job, club, sports, or student organizations, trying out EVERYTHING is something I regret not doing. Spending time with tons of different people and making friends everywhere will be so beneficial after you graduate. Whether you want to go to a different city and need a place to stay, or you end up connecting based on your career goals, spreading yourself to many different groups and friends is the greatest in college.
5. Try something you never thought you would. Like Emma here, starting a blog, or a business, is something to try out in college. These huge goals that many of us have can sometimes be placed on the back burner because of life, school, and other obligations, but college is the BEST time to try everything out. Not only can you try out your business or dream on your friends, roommates, etc, it could take off and provide you with an awesome platform for graduation! Also, what is sleep in undergrad? You have SO MUCH TIME.
6. Use ALL of your meal dollars. In the real world, food costs real money... enough said.
7. Smile at everyone you come across. College can be a really difficult time for some. I ended up going to two different universities and a community college because I just couldn't find the place where I fit in. Whenever someone would smile at me or engage me in conversation, it made my day, and made being away from my family that much easier. Luckily, I found an amazing group of friends, and I couldn't have gotten through it without them and their caring demeanors!
8. HAVE FUN. Remember, college is about more than schoolwork. It is about growing, learning, experimenting, and enjoying. Nobody looks back on their experience and thinks wow, I should have gotten an A+ instead of an A, but many look back realizing that their experience could have been different by finding a better balance of work and play.
All in all, undergrad is an amazing time filled with highs, lows, and in-betweens. I hope that you all take the time to truly soak it in, experience the joy and happiness of freedom, and thrive in all of your dreams!
Morgan is the gal behind Elena Mae, a blog about fashion, travel, & all things lifestyle. She currently lives in Washington D.C. but prefers calling the world her home. Check her out on instagram @theelenamae, or visit her site here!