by Stephanie Cascio
In college, you learn that if you have good friends, you’re not pressured into doing things you don’t want to do. Plus, you enhance your college experience by having friends you enjoy hanging out with.
Attending university has changed me so much; I mean, the life lessons you learn in college really mature you. And you don’t even realize that you’re learning because it’s not like someone asks you what life lessons you learned in college. You learn the importance of many things, not just the importance of an education. The life lessons you learn in college aren’t learned in classrooms, but through your college experience.
1. The Importance of Advocating for Yourself
This is only one of the life lessons you learn in college, but I learned this lesson early in my sophomore yea. If I wanted to get anything done, I’d have to advocate for myself. Getting hold of someone was tough. Sometimes, they didn’t call or email you back. I learned to walk into their office and be persistent. It was the only way to get things accomplished. At first, it was frustrating to have to constantly chase down people, but if you need to get stuff done, you need to take it into your own hands. It’s important to learn to speak up and advocate for what you need and want, or else nothing will happen.
2. The Importance of Time Management
Time management has been emphasized since the beginning of my college career, but it really is something you learn early on in college. It’s essential to succeeding in school and not turning into a stressed out mess or a sleep-deprived zombie. But time management is also important outside of school. We all need to make time outside of school and work.
3. The Importance of Perseverance
It seems like every time I’m assigned a test, I don’t want to study for it. But the power of perseverance is essential to passing the class. Perseverance can be tough sometimes, especially when you really hate the class, but deep down, you know that you want to graduate and will work towards that goal. College teaches you that you have to persevere in life to get where you want to go.
4. The Importance of Good Friends
I can’t emphasize enough the importance of being surrounded by good friends. In college, you learn that if you have good friends, you’re not pressured into doing things you don’t want to do. Plus, you enhance your college experience by having friends you enjoy hanging out with. They’re there to support you. Furthermore, no matter what age you are, you always want someone to have your back.
5. The Importance of Taking Responsibility
When you go away to college, everything is your responsibility. Feeding yourself, doing your laundry, getting your homework done and going to sleep at a decent hour are all your responsibilities. You’re responsible for your actions too, good or bad. Your parents aren’t there to do things for you. You learn to be independent. This is a difficult lesson to learn, but one of the most essential.
6. The Importance of Good Conflict Resolution Skills
I learned the value of good conflict resolution skills when I had to deal with a roommate that wasn’t on the same page as I was. We each had different values and habits and just didn’t get along. In college, you learn how to deal with these type of situations. This skill is essential in real life when you might not get along with a co-worker or someone else you come in contact with quite often.
7. The Importance of Good Communication
Similar to my previous point, good communication skills are also honed during your college years. You learn what to say and how to say it. You don’t only learn good communication skills through oral presentations in class, but through interacting with other students. The way you communicate can affect your career opportunities and even your relationships.
The thing is, we’re constantly learning and most of the time, we’re just unaware of it. I believe the life lessons listed above are super valuable. Do you agree? Have you learned any of these life lessons from attending college? If so, which ones?
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Read this article in All Women Stalk
Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.
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