Life is about the journey, not the destination, and yet we so often choose not to sail for fear of the waves. My time at Drake University has shown me just how much fear I had in my soul at the idea of failing.
I went to high school in Iowa and chose a college that was close. I told myself I wanted to branch out while still being able to see my family for holidays. High school had been a breeze. Drake was going to be the next step.
At the time, this was true, but college is about growth. Attending classes and taking tests are important, but they aren’t everything. The struggle of reading a chapter late one night for a class the next day may feel overwhelming, but in the end, that chapter is only one night long. At the moment, it might seem devastating to attend class without the reading done, but it will not break you.
After my first semester, I realized how stressed I was about getting everything done perfectly. My friends at the time faced the same thing — an almost paralyzing fear of failing. Stepping back and looking at the big picture helped me realize how little the stress really was. Two months from now, that quiz is just a date in a calendar.
The paper you stayed up for is now a B+ in the grade book. And most likely, your employer will not look at the grade you got in an introductory class during your first year. It’s about the journey of learning, not the GPA.
College is more than just studying and projects; college is the people and the freedom to grow. With Relays Week around the corner, this freedom is at an all-time high. Classes will be canceled, parties will be happening and people will make new friends that last a lifetime. Don’t be afraid to soar.
When college is over, the swamp of work and chores is overwhelming. My friends who graduated in years past are now working towards careers. Sending memes over Instagram just doesn’t feel the same as having them close. Spend college with the people, not the projects. Do your studies, don’t get me wrong. But there is a reason travelers choose companions.
Now is the best time in your life to find your companions. College is likely the only time you will be around all your friends with the time to spend. Enjoy it. Go to the house party where you only know one person, buy a late-night milkshake when getting McDonald’s, create an Instagram account dedicated to a watermelon. College is the time to do it.
Any judgment from others will be forgotten in days. You only get one chance to be in college at the same age as everyone else, to stay up late and recover in time for your 8 a.m. class. It’s the stories told by the fire that are remembered and shared, not the assignment you scored an 80% on.
“Go to college, get good grades, get a good job, graduate” has been told to us our entire lives. How about, “Go to college, stay up late with friends, laugh until you cannot breathe, make the most of every moment and try to experience all that this time in your life has to offer.” There will always be another assignment to work on.
Take a break in between and make your life a story worth telling. Icarus laughed while he died, for he was doing what he loved: living.
