There are only 4 weeks left in this semester and as we begin winding down, I was reflecting on everything I’ve learned so far (not including that calculus is terrible and writing essays about government is no fun) and felt like sharing! So here are the top ten things I’ve learned in my first semester at college!!
1. Long distances relationships (including friendships) are really hard:
Long-distance relationships: Honestly, they’re hard. Always always always. They take a lot of time, and a lot of intention. They require compromises, and lots of communication, but as long as both of you are willing to make them work, they most definitely can work!! If it does work out, in the long run it is so worth everything you go through in the mean time… but if they don’t, you can rest assured that it just wasn’t meant to be, and before long something way better for both of you will for sure come along!
Long-distance friendships: Much like relationships, you have to be really intentional with them. If you want to keep in touch with people, you have to actually keep in touch with them. You can’t sit around waiting for a friend to call you and pout when they don’t. It is so possible to stay close with friends, even when there are hundreds of miles between you, as long as you invest time into that friendship.
2. Going to class is actually a thing:
Okay, so in high school I heard so many teachers use the line, “I’m not gonna baby you because in college they couldn’t care less whether you come to class or not.” WRONG. They care. If they didn’t, would I have attendance grades in EVERY ONE OF MY CLASSES?? Probably not.
Also, I know it sounds crazy, but you do actually learn things in class… like things that will be on exams… exams that will pretty much single-handedly determine your grade in the class… so you could say they’re kinda important…
So if you’re college-bound, go to class. It really is a thing.
(also, homework is important… so do that too!!)
3. Football is an acquired taste:
Yes. Omg yes. If you were/are a football fan pre-college, you might not get this at all. But trust me, for all of you thinking “football is a waste of time,” take it from me that football is definitely an acquired taste. There’s something contagious about standing in the student section, cheering on your team (especially if you go to UF and just won the SEC East – yayyyyyy) with 90,000 other people. When you can identify with the team on the field, you start to care a whole lot more.
I don’t know how it happens, but it does. So yay football!
(also, my whole family is currently really shocked by my interest/knowledge about our football team, so that’s fun too)
4. People are generally way friendlier than you think they are:
This is probably pretty self-explanatory, but it really is true. This semester I’ve realized that you can’t just assume people aren’t going to be friendly to you. Sometimes you’ve just gotta crack a smile and start talking. Is everyone super friendly? No, obviously not. But it isn’t safe to assume no one is. So just keep in mind that most people are hoping to make friends just as much as you are and it never hurts to say hi.
5. Home really is where the heart (and multiple-ply toilet paper, free coffee, and best food) is:
I must say, going home has been some of the most exciting weekends I’ve had this semester. There’s just something so nice about the familiarity of it. Being 5 hours away from my family has made me realize how much I really like just being around them and has made my excitement level for the holidays WAY higher than it already would have been. (T-Minus 13 days to Thanksgiving Break ahhhhhhhhh)
Along those same lines, you really don’t realize how much you appreciate a free cup of coffee in the morning, a nice meal at night, and multiple-ply toilet paper (‘nough said) until you go home. So be excited whenever you’re headed home from wherever you may be and give your mom a big hug when you get there (cause she probably definitely misses you a lot.)
6. College is a caffeine-addict enabler:
Okay, at UF there are 6 Starbucks on campus. SIX. It is impossible to go anywhere without being tempted to grab a cup of coffee. Also, one of those six locations is open 24 hours a day, from Sunday morning until Friday night. That is FIVE DAYS of uninhibited coffee access.
Really, it’s just too easy.
Really, it’s just too easy.
7. God makes himself evident in the craziest ways:
So adjusting to college can be hard at first, and even harder than that can be keeping close to God. There are other things on your mind like feeding yourself and not failing school. But if you’ll just be intentional about it and be willing to see His work, God will provide for you in all areas. When you’re stressed or worried or really just sad, He’ll come to you with whatever you need as long as you rely on him to do so. God doesn’t go away just because you moved away from home. He lives in you so that you can live through Him. So make time for him, set aside a time and a place every day that you can talk with Him because even when life isn’t going your way, He’s always got open arms and ears.
8. Adequate sleep is both necessary and rare:
This is so contradictory and so true. On a typical night I get about 5-6 hours of sleep and usually feel terrible the next morning, so I tell myself I’ll go to sleep earlier that night… and then, whoops, it’s 1 a.m. again and I have class in 7 hours.
9. Sometimes you have to let people go:
Usually this realization comes when those long-distance relationships/friendships that I mentioned don’t work out. Sometimes you just have to let friends or significant others go, even though it can be hard to imagine them out of your life. Whether you just don’t fit in each other’s lives anymore or if they’re influence on you is toxic, we all just have to face the facts sometimes that not everyone is a forever friend… and that’s okay.
10. It really is what you make it:
If you go into the semester with a “this is gonna suck” attitude, it really will suck. So have an open mind about whatever it is you do because regardless of whether you’re in college or not, life is what you make it, and that is the best opportunity you could ask for.
Hope everyone is having a wonderful fall!!
Samantha Reynolds 
Leave a comment