That I'm Going to Be Successful.

Disclaimer: I shouldn't be writing this right now. I have a final draft of a paper due tomorrow and I have a midterm tomorrow. I've been meaning to right a blogpost for a while, but never seem to be able to find the time in this busy, hectic, wonderful college life of mine (we'll get to that). So of course, what better time is there than when I'm procrastinating on essay writing and studying? Right, we continue. *Insert: I couldn't be bothered to proofread, because I finally decided I should work on all that homework, so excuse any errors or poor writing. Also, excuse any ego. 

In my three weeks of college, I've learned a lot. I've learned things about education, history, science and writing but most importantly I've learned things about life and about myself. And so, I present to you the things I've been figuring out in college.

Friends Are Nice

Okay. So, you know how it works. The whole college and friend thing, that is. I've only been here for three weeks---WAIT! Back up a minute, is that true? Only three weeks? Because I feel like I've been friends with these people for way longer than that. (Now, here's a moment where I get to take advantage of the fact that I can write whatever I want in my blog and give a little shout out to Chrissy Bentlyewski, Jeff Fox, Rebekah Forsey, Alyssa Sarkis, Rachel Jensen and everybody in the SED and/or Warren 8B families. I love you guys, truly). On that note, these people. They're great. They get me. They like me. They appreciate me. These are people who like Disney, 500 Days of Summer, Crazy Stupid Love, Harry Potter, and Star Wars. People who think I'm funny, smart and worthwhile. People who (brace yourself) still like me after meeting my Monopoly persona and--wait for it--even someone who can beat me at my own game (rematch pending). I told you, these people are GREAT!

So, you get it, I have friends. So what? Here's so what. My friends motivate me and inspire me. Some of them (here's where I get to be a suck up, bare with me) are older and more experienced and "the greatest people you will ever meet" (note the mean girl reference). Yeah, Jeff. That includes you. Don't let it go to your head. Anyway, the point. These people are so successful and impressive. President of the SED Student Gov? Check. President of Dean's Host? Yep. They sound impressive right? Well, they are (and not just because of these titles). And they're MY friends. Not friends in the fake sort of "Oh, hey I know who that person is and they liked my Facebook status once" kind of way. Friends, in the real sense. (As in they have commented on/liked my Facebook status WAY more than once). Not to brag or anything. But by this, I mean they are people who I know can provide me with a laugh, an intellectual discussion, a helping hand or a shoulder to cry on. Besides this, what makes this particular grouping of friends special is that they have done the stuff I'm doing, or that I want to do, and they have excelled. They are daily reminder to me that the impossible is indeed possible. They motivate me to reach for the stars and follow my dreams. They haven't made me do the things I have, but it really is a little less intimidating to take a giant leap of faith in joining a new club or activity when you know real life people who have succeeded, when you know that there are people rooting for you. So yes, friends are nice for inspiration and motivation. 

In another category, there's the people that are in the same boat as me (Whaddup Chrissy?!). They haven't done this either. They don't know how the subway works or what lies outside of Comm Ave (except of course Newbury Street) either. They think it's fun to do bad imitations of Bawwstawwn accents also. They're on my level, and they make wonderful companions for this great adventure we're both embarking on. Discovering things is so much easier when you have someone by your side who is just as clueless or stupidly excited as you. It's fun to be adorable. It's fun to celebrate two week friendaversary's with cupcakes, just because you can. Bottom line, friends are fun, and fun is nice. 

I Actually Like Being Involved

Alright. Flashback to high school. National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Octagon Club, Interact Club, IB, Swim Team...I was involved in it all. But by the end of high school, I was questioning whether I did all of these things because I wanted to or because I wanted to get into college. None of these things made me very happy, and I kept asking myself why I was in them. I never really found an answer to that. I told myself, in college, I didn't have to join every club or organization I encountered. I wasn't trying to get into college anymore so it wasn't necessary for me to be excessively involved. I told myself, I would only do the things that made me happy. 

Here's the catch though, being involved does make me happy. It's something I like, really and truly. Here I am, three weeks in, already having to prioritize activities and limit myself because I want to be a part of it all. SEDSG, pursuance of being a Dean's Host, Intramural sports, Quidditch...I'm not doing it because I think I should, I'm doing it because I want to. I'm so relieved I came to this conclusion because these decisions, to jump in head first and immerse myself with involvement, are what have made my college experience (A.K.A the past three weeks) what it is. So, lesson to myself about myself: being involved is something I like, high school was the part that made me not very happy--not the involvement in activities. Now, all I need to do is find my Time Turner so I can actually be involved in EVERYTHING. Yeah?

I'm Happy

This seems like a simple statement, but it's an important one and it's one that I might not have sincerely said very many times over the past four years. Being happy was one of my New Year's resolutions this year, and let me just tell you, being happy feels great. To wake up and be excited about the things that await me that day? I love it. I've been figuring out a lot of things these past three weeks, and a lot of those are things about myself. I've mentioned how living in the same place with the same people for my whole life causes everyone to see me in a certain light, whether that light is true or not. I think I've been seeing myself under a certain light for all those years too. Now, I finally have room to stretch and look around and really see myself. I get to be who I am and--warning: ego alert--who I am is wonderful. I'm a great person. I truly try to do good, I care about people, I'm smart, I do the best I can in everything I do, and above all I have passion and individuality. I think I can finally say that if I was someone else, I would want to be friends with me (I warned you about the ego). There is nothing wrong with the person I am. I'm also human (although I'll deny it if you ask), so it's okay to have imperfections. They make me who I am and there is nothing wrong with those aspects of me either. 

Here's a nice quote: "Laugh at yourself, but don't ever aim your doubt at yourself. Be bold. When you embark for strange places, don't leave any of yourself safely on shore. Have the nerve to go into unexplored territory."

So I've got friends, I'm involved and I'm happy. I have support, connections and confidence. At this point, I don't think it's possible for me to not be successful (yeah, you should be used to the ego in this post by now). I'm going to shoot for the moon, and even if I miss I'll land among the stars. I'm going to soar, and I'm going to succeed. And it feels great.