12 Life Lessons You Learn By Senior Year Of College

As a second semester senior, I’ve found myself doing a lot of self-reflection on my last three and half years. I’ve realized that although my time is ending as a college student, there’s a lot to look forward to. Here are twelve things I’ve learned and that everyone should know as some general life lessons.

Be independent

Don’t always do what your friends do. No one great ever became successful because of someone else. If you’re not at a point in your life thus far to make smart, independent decisions without the input of others, then you should probably just move home after you graduate to ensure you have a clean asshole.

Think for yourself

God gave you a brain, so use it for the good. Don’t always go with what others do/say/desire; you have within you your OWN thoughts, your OWN desires, and your OWN dreams. Express those and don’t rely on others to push you towards those goals and dreams.

Give yourself an hour a day alone

I can’t express enough how important it is to get away from the rest of the world and just wander in your own thoughts. Clean, organize, rest your eyes, do anything that allows you an hour of peace of mind for yourself.

Learn when to shut up

You’re not always going to agree with everyone, but that’s the beauty of this world – everyone thinks for themselves and has their own opinion. Believe what you want, but don’t put others down in the process. It would have saved me a lot of arguments and relationships if I knew when to swallow my pride and stop talking.

Find your balance

If you like to work out and not drink/go out every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, then so be it. It’s your life and no one should tell you how to spend your time. Just know when to have a little fun.

Be kind to others

This is just a life lesson in general. You won’t go far in life if your attitude sucks and you’re rude to people. Even if you don’t know someone that well, ask how their day is and make sure you mean it.

Don’t say yes to everything

You’re only one person and you have the same twenty-four hours that everyone else does. Don’t kill yourself and your sanity if it’s not necessary.

Do your best to not destroy your body

At least not to the point of no return with weekends filled with binge drinking and eating. We all like to have fun and we do a lot of that in college, but try to give yourself a break here and there. You have only have one body, treat it like a temple and give a damn about it.

Find happiness within yourself

This is my biggest deal breaker in friendships. Friends and relationships are meant to compliment you, not substitute for your own happiness. If you don’t know how to be happy on your own, there’s no way you’re going to survive outside your campus walls after graduation. Make yourself happy first and foremost.

Don’t look for a job, look for your vocation

Yeah, most likely we’re all going to graduate and start off in a job that nine times out of ten won’t be our dream job. That doesn’t mean you should give up; figure out your values, what you want in life and you’ll end up discovering not only a lot more about yourself, but hopefully a career that fulfills you every single day.

Never settle

I wish someone had given me this piece of advice a LONG time ago. Without a doubt, you’re going to fail, you’re going to make mistakes and you’re going to wish you hadn’t passed up on certain opportunities, but don’t dwell on it. Don’t let yourself fall into a trap where you think you can’t do any better than what you have – you can and you will.

You create your own destiny

You have the power to change your life and the lives of the people around you. Build your own happiness and don’t take for granted what you do have because someday you might not have it.

Seniors, we can do this. Remember where we started, remember the fun we had and picture where we are going. It makes this whole graduating thing a lot easier to swallow. I believe in all of you, so start believing in yourself.