Photo by MD Duran on Unsplash

I graduate college in 30 days, and I can not believe that 5 years have gone by. My college has given me a lot of things apart from my degree including but not limited to lifelong friends, a career I love and life experiences. In this blog post, I want to share the top 5 things I learned during my college life, outside of the classroom.

1. Prioritize Yourself

In college, you deal with a variety of emotions ranging from pure joy to heartbreak. You make new friends, handle the pressure of studies and try out new experiences. It is very important to prioritize yourself and take care of your needs.

Invest in yourself. Try to figure out what kind of person you want to become after you leave college. Think beyond college and how you would like to live your life. Align your short-term goals with your long-term goals.

For example, if you want to become someone who wants to work at a big firm and climb up the corporate ladder, talk to people who have been there and done that. If you want to start a business, try starting a small business in college and learn from your mistakes.

2. You Are The Average Of The Five People You Spend The Most Time With

Prioritizing yourself also means spending your time wisely. I strongly believe that your friend circle in college has a powerful impact on your life. If you surround yourself with folks who want to party 24/7, it is going to be hard for you to focus on your studies. If you want to party all the time, you will find friends who want to study all the time boring. That friend who only reaches out to you when you can help and they do not bother about you? Help them but also be aware that they will most probably never help you. Friends who gossip behind your back and break your trust? Cut them out of your life for your own well-being.

Find your tribe. Spend time with people who support you and are your cheerleaders. Keep your circle small but tight.

3. Adapt

Life will not always go to plan. If you haven't already realized this, college life will teach this to you fast. That internship position you wanted? You're rejected. The love of your life? He or she is no longer interested in you. That "A" you expected in your favourite course? Turns out you missed the deadline for the assignment submission.

Adapt to difficult situations. If something doesn't work out, try a fresh approach. Take feedback from your friends, teammates, professors and work on yourself.

4. Appreciate Your Parents

When you move away from home, you will stop taking little things that your parents did for granted. There will be no one to wake you up, take you to the doctor's or shout at you to clean your room. You will miss all this. As you grow older, you will see your parents as just normal people with their own flaws and problems. They can make mistakes and they definitely do not have everything figured out. Sometimes, distance from them helps you analyse your relationship and gives you much-needed clarity.

Even though it can be hard, forgive them if you have had a tough time during your teens and appreciate all that they have done for you.

5. It's Ok To Not Have Everything Figured Out

Last but not the least, no one has everything figured out. Everyone has their own set of problems. Life is not perfect. If you had everything figured out and you never experienced the lows, you won't enjoy the highs.

It's okay to not know or do not have an answer. It's OKAY to not have your life figured out. Do not compare yourself with your peers and feel sad. Everyone goes through their own journey and has their own timeline.

Accept where you are in life right now and strive to do better every day. If you take one small step every day towards becoming the person you want to be, you'll be just fine.