It’s safe to say college really does change a person. You can go in as one human, and leave completely transformed – not only in the education department, but also
as an individual. I was thinking today about 18 year old me, and what I was like back then. To be honest, I’m not sure I even know the girl who moved into that dorm freshman year. In some ways,
we’re actually polar opposites. So I thought I'd share some things I’ve noticed have changed along the way.
1. I am no longer someone who constantly ‘needs’ new things. The teenage girl in me
always wanted new clothes, new items, the latest and the best of everything. I’ve since realized that less really is
more. Believe me when I tell you that material things only weigh you down. When you have a house full of stuff, you can’t just move anywhere you want without a huge hassle to prepare for.
And when you spend your paychecks on new clothes, electronics, etc., you’re throwing away opportunities to spend it on something more rewarding.
I would rather have eyes that have seen the most beautiful places on earth, and a mind that has been opened to new perspectives & absorbed endless knowledge,
than the latest fashion trend or ‘name brand’ purse. Why spend money on items to impress those around you, when you can spend it on a plane ticket to visit a place where the people and the
landscape impress you every single day?
2. I am no longer someone who lives through social media. When I came to college, I had
18,000 tweets posted on twitter. That’s insane! & in fact, for a few years, my income was solely based on society’s addiction to social media. I worked as a freelance Social Media Marketer.
But watching how others continuously posted and checked their apps, is what made me put down my phone in the first place.
I began to notice how people don’t even enjoy the moment they are in anymore, instead they watch life happen through the view of their SnapChat screen, as they
record it so all their friends can see. Ever since I deleted a few social media apps from my phone & stopped posting my every move, I’ve left most of my adventures behind with hardly any
pictures at all. In turn, I’ve found that I remember the trips so much more, and I’ve started to enjoy life on an entirely new level. It’s amazing what you’ll see when you stop trying to show everyone what you saw.
3. I am no longer someone who does what society expects of me. I went to college right
out of high school because I felt like that’s what I was expected to do. Now that I’m approaching graduation, most of my peers are frantically applying for jobs and trying to plan their future.
Many will hurry off to begin their ‘big kid’ job, get married, settle down, start a family…etc. Because that’s the standard – that’s what you’re “supposed to do.” But I’ve come to recognize the
endless monotony that we live in. As the story goes; we go to college to get a good job, to pay for a car that’ll take us to work, so we can afford a nice house to raise our kids in so that they
can go to college and get a good job – lather, rinse, repeat.
I’m 22 years old, and in 2 months, I’ll finally have that piece of paper that claims I’m employable. What I won’t have is a lease on an apartment, any bills to pay
or even a single pet to take care of. At first I felt ashamed to say that I’m not job-hunting like everyone else, but the truth is, I’m not in a rush to do the expected. I can go wherever I want;
I can do whatever I want, I have no ties. I’m an adult now. And I’ve realized ‘adulting’ doesn’t have to mean a boring job in corporate America, it can mean traveling to see the world. It can
mean moving to another state, or a new country. It can mean whatever you want it to mean. The opportunities are
endless. So why settle for what everyone else is doing?
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