THINGS I LEARNED SOPHOMORE YEAR (BY NILE FROM UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND)
I'm sure this is my 39302930928th post about things I've learned in college, but sophomore year was honestly life-changing.
Sophomore year has been the year of self-discovery for me. Here are five things I've learned:
1. You speak things into existence.
I found that when I woke up tired and cranky, that would set the tone for my day. Every day isn't be perfect, and I would be lying if I said that I woke up in a good mood everyday, but I do my best to take control of the day.
I came across this tweet from Khalid (one of my favorite artists) and it really changed my perspective on things:
Instead of waking up and saying "Ugh I want to get back in bed," or "I'm so sick of school," I would wake up, look in my mirror and say "Today is going to be a good day." And guess what? I started having better days. I went into the day with a positive attitude, and spread good vibes. And when you put out good vibes, they always come back to you. Trust me.
2. Learn to forgive.
This is one is pretty self-explanatory. People are going to do wrong. It's a fact of life. But learning how to forgive sets you free.
Eventually, holding a grudge does nothing but hurt YOU. Forgiveness is for you, not necessarily the other person.
3. But also learn to admit when you were wrong.
Sometimes we get so caught up in what someone else did that we fail to see where were wrong in the situation.
I've been in situations (not just during sophomore year, but before then) where I placed the blame on the other person without recognizing my own immaturity and lack of communication.
Admitting when you're wrong isn't being weak, it's showing that you're mature enough to hold yourself accountable.
4. Get outside of your comfort zone.
If you go to a large university (like I do), you know how easy it is to feel confused and lost in the mix of tens of thousands of people.
But go out there anyway.
You'd be surprised how many people on your campus are open to being friends with you and want to share their ideas and interests with you.
Join a club, go to a sports game, go to an open mic, apply for an internship, study abroad.
Joining new clubs and studying abroad are two of the best things I could've done. I not only learned about others, but I learned about myself.
5. Understand that college is flying by.
Whenever I walk past my freshman year dorm hall, it seems like just yesterday my family dropped me off, set-up my room and drove-off into the sunset leaving me to find my way at such a large school.
The thought of even being a rising junior seemed so far away. But here we are.
These four years are flying by, and I had to learn how to do what's best for me and my future.
While I do find time for fun (because breaks are necessary), I also spent time working on my brand, reading books, going to free lectures on campus, applying for internships and networking.
It's totally fine to not have everything figured out (it's completely normal), but when college is over, what's your plan? Invest in yourself!
How has this school year been for you? Let me know by tweeting me @NaturallyNi or @NerdyNaturals01!
Nile is the creator of the Nerdy Naturals blog. She is a junior Communication major with a concentration in Public Relations and minors in Chinese and entrepreneurship from Maryland. In her free time she enjoys watching natural hair tutorial videos, drinking coffee, jogging and reading. You can also email nerdynaturals@gmail.com if you have any questions or are interested in contributing. #staynatural.
Sophomore year has been the year of self-discovery for me. Here are five things I've learned:
1. You speak things into existence.
I found that when I woke up tired and cranky, that would set the tone for my day. Every day isn't be perfect, and I would be lying if I said that I woke up in a good mood everyday, but I do my best to take control of the day.
I came across this tweet from Khalid (one of my favorite artists) and it really changed my perspective on things:
Spent half of my life being sad about shit I had no control over, and going throughout the day was exhausting. One day, I woke up and decided I deserved the best in life and no one was going to get in my way.— Khalid (@thegreatkhalid) November 14, 2017
2. Learn to forgive.
This is one is pretty self-explanatory. People are going to do wrong. It's a fact of life. But learning how to forgive sets you free.
Eventually, holding a grudge does nothing but hurt YOU. Forgiveness is for you, not necessarily the other person.
3. But also learn to admit when you were wrong.
Sometimes we get so caught up in what someone else did that we fail to see where were wrong in the situation.
I've been in situations (not just during sophomore year, but before then) where I placed the blame on the other person without recognizing my own immaturity and lack of communication.
 |
| giphy.com |
Admitting when you're wrong isn't being weak, it's showing that you're mature enough to hold yourself accountable.
4. Get outside of your comfort zone.
If you go to a large university (like I do), you know how easy it is to feel confused and lost in the mix of tens of thousands of people.
But go out there anyway.
Join a club, go to a sports game, go to an open mic, apply for an internship, study abroad.
Joining new clubs and studying abroad are two of the best things I could've done. I not only learned about others, but I learned about myself.
5. Understand that college is flying by.
Whenever I walk past my freshman year dorm hall, it seems like just yesterday my family dropped me off, set-up my room and drove-off into the sunset leaving me to find my way at such a large school.
The thought of even being a rising junior seemed so far away. But here we are.
These four years are flying by, and I had to learn how to do what's best for me and my future.
While I do find time for fun (because breaks are necessary), I also spent time working on my brand, reading books, going to free lectures on campus, applying for internships and networking.
It's totally fine to not have everything figured out (it's completely normal), but when college is over, what's your plan? Invest in yourself!
 |
| giphy.com |
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