What My Sophomore Year Taught Me

Freshman year taught me many things. This year? It did not fail in this department. At all. Looking back to last August, it’s hard to believe how much I’ve experienced and learned. Here is my attempt to put into words what lessons God taught me through the opportunities and challenges he put before me.

And since there are 7 things here, I’ll link this up with Jen at Conversion Diary for 7 Quick Takes this Friday. 

Invest in friends and listen to them.

I am so thankful for this time in my life because the whole world is at my fingertips. I can go to Mass, see friends, and go to fun events everyday. But this also makes it easy to get caught up in doing ALL THE THINGS and not really focusing on any one of them. Sometime this year I made a conscious effort to listen to people more and talk less, and it’s something I am grateful for. Everyone has a story to tell, and it is a privilege when friends invite you into their lives by sharing a bit of their hearts.

Forgive, even if you can’t forget.

I’ve learned to bite my tongue when needed (not that it happens every time). I’ve experienced how much it hurts to be . . . hurt. And I’ve discovered the power in forgiving others, even when you don’t want to. Even when you’re hurt by something or someone, being able to move on with my life gives me the freedom to not let issues people have or things they say define how I live. But let me tell you: it’s much easier said than done.

Organization = sanity.

A messy desk makes me more stressed out. And the condition of my room reflects the state of my mind (most of the time). So, maybe keep your space cleaner, eh? Definitely a work in progress . . . 🙂

You don’t know their stories.

Everyone has a story, and you don’t know everyone’s (not that I ever thought I did). You can’t assume why a person did or said something. You just don’t know. Even when you think you know the person well enough, people change. You don’t know their motivations. Remember that. Assuming the best of others frees me from the plaguing thoughts of how rude they were. It forces me to focus on how I should respond differently in the future, not how they should treat me differently.

TV is a complete waste of time.

Ha! You may disagree. Granted, I did watch a bit of Duck Dynasty in the beginning of the year. We’ve watched a few movies. I watched some Nanny 911 last semester. But did any of that make  me a better version of myself? Not really! Without a tv at school, I don’t miss it. Nor do I think about it often. My life is better without the distraction of tv. I do watch YouTube videos quite often, and every once in a while I’ll use Netflix. But it comes down to the fact that ain’t nobody got time foh dat. I’ve got better things to do with my time.

You get what you put into something (duh).

It feels delightful to earn a good grade in a hard class. And it’s not something I have much experience in with college so far. Sure, I’ve gotten good grades. And I’ve taken hard classes. But the two together? That’s when it gets serious, folks. For some reason I made the decision to work hard in my Christian Moral Life class and guess what? It worked. I did well in the class, learned SO MUCH, and can confidently say: you get what you give.

Ya’ll need to lighten up.

Life is just better when you stop and smell the alfalfa, folks! It’s the moments when you stay up until 2am just talking because you can. Or jamming sessions on the way to Walmart. Or cooking for people. Or walking barefoot on campus when the weather is nice. Or getting to know someone better. These are the moments we treasure, and seriously: who has time to waste on things that don’t matter? It’s nice to consciously recognize this and be thankful for the little things. Who remembers the nights you get enough sleep anyway?