Past Mistakes

“Your past doesn’t define you it creates you”
For most, the first part of the phrase is well known as “your past defines you”. This weekend at a high school tournament, I was judging impromptu. For those who aren’t familiar with the event, students get multiple quotes which they choose to speak over. For this student in particular, he chose “I never look back darling, it distracts from the now” by Edna Modes from The Incredibles.

He went on to say that for Edna, her past taught her not to make capes for heroes since it was a hazard. He said that just like Edna, we all learn from our pasts. We learn lessons, we grow stronger and we become who we are. No our past does not define us. That outfit you so delicately picked out for school doesn’t define you. That grade you got in English class doesn’t define you. That part you didn’t get in the play doesn’t define you. Those are all parts of the story, getting to where you are. In some way every single decision you’ve made up to this point has built you into who you are.

Think of it more like being sculpted. When an artist makes a sculpture there isn’t always an end goal, they just work as they feel fit. In life we do things as we see fit in the moment, we mold situations and our lives to be certain ways. But, the amazing thing about life is that even when we think we’ve made ourselves who we want we -just like a sculptor- can add or takeaway from what we have become. You are always a work in the making.

Your life is a piece of art that cannot be recreated. Your life is unique to you. From the first breath you take to where you die, every person on this earth has their own story about how they survived, how they thrived, and in some cases how they overcame the obstacles set forth. It may seem impossible taking life day by day because sometimes it’s simply a bad day, but just think, every decision you make, every mistake you make is a lesson learned, a story you’ll tell your kids in the future. So to quote another student “we may all be dust tomorrow so why not”. Why not take that chance? Why not talk to your crush? Why not live fearlessly? Why not believe in yourself if even for a moment?

College 101

So the reason I decided to write a blog is because I feel like there are so many misconceptions about college and getting an education. There’s so much hype building up to high school graduation and acceptance into university. The bad thing is that college is a whole new world and there really isn’t much that could have prepared me for what this semester had to hold. I graduated with 60 credit hours and an Associate’s degree but throughout the semester I still struggled –I struggled a lot.

Once you leave home, college becomes your home and it’s particularly hard being immersed in your schoolwork when you feel displaced. The most important part about college is making yourself at home, making friends, getting involved and becoming a part of the community. These parts of college are definitely easier said than done, but trust me, they’re very important. During my first month of college I was a very kept-to-myself type of person, but as an engineering student that definitely was short lived. Although I loathed the idea of constant group projects, they helped me grow.

The best part about my university (yes, I’m biased) is that there are always opportunities to get involved. From being a tour guide through the honors program to being a part of a chapter of multiple engineering groups, there is always an opportunity for me to get out there and make a name for myself. Get out there. Yes, I know it’s scary to get out there when you just entered basically a whole new world but it’s so much easier feeling at home when you have friends everywhere, even if they are just acquaintances.

Something important about college; it is difficult, overwhelming, exhausting and at times it is so hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But above all else, it is your opportunity to grow in knowledge, as a person and socially. Every experience you have in college depends on what you choose to do. There are going to be bad experiences that you may not feel you can overcome, and amazing experiences that you can’t believe you get a chance to be a part of. You never know what the outcome of an experience is if you’re too scared to experience life.

College is challenging –trust me. It’s like being thrown overboard and having to swim to shore, but along the way you are using the knowledge your professors have given you and the knowledge your life experiences have given you to get there. College is not a journey taken alone. Sure, at the end of the day you are the one getting the diploma, but without the help of friends, ex-friends, professors, mentors, that person who smiled at you in the hall, your parents, or a really nice RA, you can’t get to shore. Some professors will have you pulling your hair out, and some will make you glad you signed up for the class: but you will face both. You will face people who don’t believe in you and people who believe in you more than you can believe. At the end of the day, it is up to you to decide whether or not you make it to shore.

Like I said before, college is not a lone journey. Many people go in with the misconception that they can do it on their own, but along the way you will face classes you pray you can pass with a good enough grade to get credit. You will have times where you cry because that physics class is killing you, or you have no idea what is going on in Calculus, but YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Every university has so many resources put into place to help you. The end goal is, ultimately, to help you succeed. Succeeding does NOT mean passing every class with an A. Sure it’s good for your GPA and on your transcript, but if your class is really easy then what are you getting out of it?

Challenge yourself. This is what college is about. You are here to help yourself. By the time graduation comes around, you will be glad you didn’t give up. College is surviving the semester and being proud that you made it: one semester down. One step at a time, that’s what college is, and there will be many steps before you walk across that stage. You will face so many obstacles in college, some you never thought you would have to face, but take a deep breath and take it one day at a time. Talk to your professors, your parents, your friends –make connections.

Above all else, do not forget why you are going to college. Do NOT go to college for your parents. Do NOT go to college for your significant other. Do NOT go to college to get away from home. Go to college because you want to learn, to become a better version of yourself, to understand why someone wears an ankle brace (Did you know that there’s physics behind wearing ankle braces?). Do go to college to make yourself a better person, go to make yourself proud, go to prove to those who didn’t believe in you that you can do this, go because at the end of the day the one you rely on is yourself. Take advantage of college in every way. This is the time in your life where you will be surrounded by so many people smarter than you. Learn from them and one day you will be the one smarter than those around you. Regardless of how difficult it gets, don’t give up because I believe you can do it. Do this for you.