(1) Time management is key.
Cliche, right? Not really. Take it from someone who knows, time management can mean the difference between sanity and insanity. I've suffered through many sleepless nights because I've had events to plan and books to read and exams to study for. No one wants to hear that you don't have time for them…so making time is essential.
(2) Learn how to say "NO."
You cannot do everything. I learned that the hard way. I was always ready to lend one of my Bros a helping hand, but it got to the point where I was putting myself last. Not only is that unhealthy, but it's also not fair.
(3) 1 extra class is a HUGE time commitment.
I'm not kidding. I started this semester thinking that have 1 more class than I'm used to having wouldn't make a huge difference. It's just 1 class, right? WRONG. I could not have been more wrong. It's more than just going to 2 more classes a week. It's reading, and writing, and studying that you're not used to doing. 6 classes is a heavy workload for anyone. By the end of the semester, I stopped going to one of classes and I stopped reading for another because I was falling behind in everything. Was that irresponsible? Oh, yeah. And I'm not proud of that decision. And I know my GPA is going to take a hit because of it. But I'm grown up enough to admit that I didn't do my best.
(4) Learn your limits.
This piece of advice can be taken many ways. It's no secret that drinking is a huge part of the college experience. I didn't drink much my Freshman year, but I really got into it during Sophomore year. I'm slowly but surely learning what my limits are. Have I made a few mistakes? Of course. Have I drank too much? Sure. But I take it all in stride. I know that every mistake I make is a lesson.
It's also no secret that relationships are a huge part of the college experience. I'm certainly not an expert in this field (and I won't pretend to be), but I'm learning what kind of relationships I'm okay with. And I'm learning what kind of relationships I need to steer clear of. Do my prerogatives match someone else's? Not necessarily. But that's okay. We're all here to figure out this little thing called Life.
(5) HAVE FUN!
Despite everything I did this semester that drove me kind of crazy, I managed to have a lot of fun! I took my Little and I couldn't be happier with that choice. We're both ridiculously busy individuals, so we don't get to hang out a lot, but having him in my corner definitely helps. Plus, at both parties that we've gone to together, he's been a fucking blast and I love it! He doesn't know this yet, but I'm totally getting him to go out more next semester. I also got really close to a few of my Bros this semester. They've become my best friends, as well as my family.
Sophomore year was alright, I suppose. But I'm hoping that I can take my own advice and have an even better Junior year. Until then, I'm going to spend the next 3 months enjoying summer time!
