So here I am a few hours after my final exam, and man, I am happy.
The sense of relief I felt at the end was amazing because I have been studying
like crazy, but I can honestly say this has been the best year of my life. I
have learned so much about myself. And so, similarly to my summer
edition of lessons learned, I have reflected on my year and come up with
the things I have learned this year.
1. Drama will persist throughout your life.
I find it hard to know where to start in describing
this. For an awful three months, I lost a friend. This is someone that I had
grown very close to in a few short months. This was someone I could see
becoming a best friend. And due to a miscommunication, we lost each other. I’ve
realized that one is never above drama. I thought I was beyond arguments over
menial things after high school, and I was wrong. But let me tell you, it’s not
the end of the world. The good thing about adult fights is everyone is more
mature. Maybe not in the heat of the moment, but if you keep a good head and
make the right moves, then everything is going to work out.
2. Never have arguments over text.
And how do you think misunderstand from #1
came about? Texting. Everyone and their mom will tell you about the dangers of
technology when it comes to relationships. It says a lot about your character
if you choose to deal with issues in person and bring everything out into the
open, especially if it involves a third party.
3. It’s okay to be someone different.
A year ago, I would have kicked myself for
the person I am today. This year, I started going out to bars (I’m legal, don’t
worry), and kissing guys. This is not who I thought I was going to be, and for
a while, I really struggled with that. Then I realized that maybe this has been
me all along. University has been a place where I can actually be myself: my
REAL self that likes to go out every so often and is actually considered
desirable. High school was just not the right place for me to be this person.
It’s okay to change!
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| This is how I feel about this year. [source] |
4. Take your shoes off.
I have a friend who wears slippers at
school all. The. Time. And for a while, I thought she was crazy. Then one day,
I had all my stuff from sleeping over at a friend’s place, and I decided to get
comfy. And it was one of my favourite days this year. Your school is your
school. It’s a second home. So act like it. Take your shoes off. Bring a
blanket for long days in the library. Wear your slippers. Trust me.
5. Be thankful for everyone.
It may have been the lack of sleep or
overstudying, but I went through a friend’s Instagram today, and I started
bawling. I just became so overwhelmingly thankful to have her in my life. This
was the friend I lost for a while. Since the fight, we have become closer than
ever. She is the person I go to for everything, and she always knows exactly
what to say even when I’m ranting. They say you don’t know what you have until
it’s gone. Well, she was gone, and now that I have her back, I see how lucky am
I to have her. Don’t let something catastrophic make you realize the value of
the people around you.
6. Don’t forget your roots.
This has been a recent revelation. I made
friends with a good group of girls in first year. The group dwindled, but three
of us are left. I consider them the base to my university life. However, we
have all grown apart slightly this year. It happens, and it will continue to
happen when we are going down our separate paths, but I urge you all not to
forget where you are coming from. This includes your family as well. Never
forget who made you who you are today.
7. Get involved.
I cannot stress this enough. If you’re
starting university this coming fall, or going back for your last year, it is
never too late to get involed. I think the biggest reason this year was the
best is because I was on the soph team. I have been a part of the greatest group
of people ever assembled, and it is so rewarding. I’ve met the best people, and
I continue to spread my branches out to connect with their friends and then
their friends. It’s a connection of so many amazing people that fill my life
with so much joy.
8. Wear comfortable shoes out.
So I started to go to bars for real this
year, and I learned something very quickly: heels suck. The bar my friends and
I frequent is very casual, so Converse shoes totally work, but I suggest you
invest in some shoes that are actually comfortable. I have booties that are
heeled, but since the heel is thick, it does not hurt my feet as much. Your
feet will thank me later.
9. Know your limits.
This is incredibly important. I’m talking
drinking and romantic encounters. Make sure you know where you are comfortable.
And always remember that IT IS OKAY TO SAY NO. If you say no and the person
walks away, they were not worth your time, TRUST ME. And when it comes to
drinking, only you know best. Don’t feel the need to drink like the people
around you. Listen to your body. Look for the signs it tells you when it’s at
the right level. If you do that, you can narrow down the perfect limit to what
you drink before you go out, and then not have to spend a ton at the bar.
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| [source] |
10. Learn how to make drinks.
This came from a girl’s night with Marlee,
but I carried it over into my other friend groups. I stay at my friend’s
apartment all the time, and they always make me breakfast and pay for the cabs
back. I started repaying them by making them drinks. And they LOVE it! Plus, I
hear it looks impressive to anyone.
11. Find a system that works.
This is not from experience. I’m awful at
finding a good jam and sticking to it. I need to take my own advice here. It
takes some work to learn what keeps you motivated, but it’s worth it in the
end.
12. Be open to new ideas of learning.
High school had me thinking there was only
one way to write a paper or complete a project and if I have learned anything,
it is that that is so wrong. The amount of times I have had to change my style
of learning or writing in the past two years is ridiculous. I wrote papers in
three different styles this year. I started highlighting textbooks (it hurts me
though) and that really paid off. I started typing up textbook readings which
made it go by so much faster when it came to studying. Don’t get stuck in a
box. Experiment.
13. Bullies will exist in all walks of life.
Similar to #1, I’m sad to say this is true.
Without getting much into it, there was a girl in three of my classes that was
mean to me. That sounds so juvenile, but there is no better way to explain it.
I had no idea that adults set out to make each other feel tiny. It’s a horrible
feeling, and I cried multiple times over it. The thing about bullies is that it
is no reflection on you. The way they act towards you is for some reason they
made up in their heads. For example, this girl saw me as a threat because I
spoke in class just as much as her. She talked about me all the time to one of
my friends. As of today, I never have to see her again, and I am going to go
straight to deleting her off all my social media. Bully be gone!
I just had a realization that my next exam will take place
in England! I cannot wait to see what I can learn overseas!
What was the most important thing you learned this year?
-Daniella
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