The Jump Off

I came to college full of excitement and enthusiasm for the new year to begin. A completely fresh start and no parents, what more could I ask for? Well after the initial shock set in I realized this wouldn't be a walk in the park. Everyone says college is so hard and I believed them of course but I wasn't prepared for this at all. In a way I don’t think anything could have prepared me for this. My sister went to college in California when I was 8 but she never told me much about what to expect. She warned me of dangers and my mother emphasized the importance of my studies but in the end there was nothing they could do.  It was all up to me to take my education into my own hands and I didn't do as well as I planned. I’m just getting by in some cases where I should be excelling, story of my life. But what they don’t tell you about college is reinvention is right around the corner. A month from now I’ll be starting all new classes with a fresh slate and a better grasp on the difficulty of college and the effort needed to succeed. A new year is just what I need so just like the other 6 billion people in the world who hope for a better year than the last I’m going to set out a list of my new year’s resolutions. Not only so I can reach my potential but also so I can get what I’m paying for here at southern.

First I want to buckle down and set rules for myself. Discipline is not a word I am familiar with so maybe adding that to my vocabulary will let me become a better person in all aspects of my life. I've never been one for studying but I know it’s a tool I need to start utilizing if I want to actually graduate. In Twyla Tharp’s book we talked about a box and where you should start while organizing your ideas. Well doing my homework at one in the morning the night before it due not only reduces the quality of my box but limits what I’ll have at my disposal to put inside of the box.

For my second resolution I need to dig deep and find the will to say no. No to going out every night, no to spending money on frivolous things, no to staying up all night, no to skipping class, no to those people whose approval I seek so dearly, people who could potentially drag me down with their extracurricular that are less than savory.  I could go on for days about those people but dwelling in the negative side of my life is something I would also like to say no to.

On the other side of saying no I’d like to start being a friend a friend would like to have. Yes studies are important and definitely my number one here at southern, but I can’t neglect the people who got me here. The friends who support me and my family are the people I need to start saying yes, and more importantly “thank you”, to.

Now this one might see silly but I couldn't be more serious. I need to learn how to spell. If I didn't have an iPhone my friends wouldn't even be able to read what I text them. For example, deffinatly, yes that is seriously how I spell definitely. It took me three tries to even have the correct word show up in the spell check. As embarrassing as it is I need to take care of the little things.

I wish I did this earlier but regret is a useless emotion so all I can do is learn from my mistakes and move forward with a fresh perspective on what this whole “college” thing is about.