Steps to success
If at first you don't succeed, dust yourself
off and try again.
Aaliyah said it best and I'm living it. It's funny how so much can change in the course of a year, or, in my case, over three years. You go to school, you meet people, you spend every waking minute with them, you go out and there may be a little romance somewhere in between, but in the end you're not overly satisfied with everything you've “achieved” scholastically, personally or romantically. You need something worth bending the rules for, worth losing out on — something you once thought was everything.
I'm more alive these days than I have ever been. I'm starting a new program, I've met some incredible people this summer and I'm finally feeling that feeling. Cliché, I know, but it's true. I can thank my family, friends and co-workers for the reality check. If you're as stubborn as me, hopefully you won't go through a downward spiral like I did; it's not pretty.
If I've learned anything, it is this:
Take some ME time.
I have a couple of friends who live the same life I do — you know, student government life — and they understand more than anyone how important it is to take some time for yourself and forget about the FSU, Fanshawe, etc. This has to be the most important thing I've learned so far. I'm the type of person that figuratively runs around with my head cut off. For a long time, my motto was “I'll sleep when I'm dead,” but I recently realized how stupid that statement is. Although not much has changed on the sleep side, I have taken more time out of schedule to relax. I'll drive around, go for a walk or meet up with a friend who isn't high maintenance and just talk.
Ask for help.
I'm still working on this one, but I'm getting better. You can't do everything. You can't be all things to all people. It's humanly impossible to carry a car while solving y” + 4y' + 13y=0, simultaneously explaining to your angry girlfriend that the girl at the bar was your cousin while on your way to the homeless shelter to volunteer — you just can't do it. Take a breath, do one thing at a time, and if you get swamped, ask for help. Trust me, I learned this the hard way.
Don't blog — you'll regret it.
Seriously, when you feel the urge to expose to the world how terrible your day was, please keep it to yourself. Start up a journal — I promise you, this way you'll avoid embarrassment. You'll be able to write whatever you want without telling the world how much you hate so-and-so or starting ridiculous fights on Facebox, Twitter or any other social media account you have set up. Keep it classy, or it'll come nip you in the butt.
Avoid DB's like the plague.
I don't need to spell that one out for you; it's pretty self explanatory. Whether it's crappy friends/acquaintances/boys-men/girlswomen, ditch the baggage. ENJOY these years, these are your college years. Like I was telling Joe Ayotte (VP entertainment) the other day, I love college, you will too.
This is what I've learned so far. If you use them or not, I'm sure one day you'll remember one of these!
Have a good year, Fanshawe!
Vero
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
Aaliyah said it best and I'm living it. It's funny how so much can change in the course of a year, or, in my case, over three years. You go to school, you meet people, you spend every waking minute with them, you go out and there may be a little romance somewhere in between, but in the end you're not overly satisfied with everything you've “achieved” scholastically, personally or romantically. You need something worth bending the rules for, worth losing out on — something you once thought was everything.
I'm more alive these days than I have ever been. I'm starting a new program, I've met some incredible people this summer and I'm finally feeling that feeling. Cliché, I know, but it's true. I can thank my family, friends and co-workers for the reality check. If you're as stubborn as me, hopefully you won't go through a downward spiral like I did; it's not pretty.
If I've learned anything, it is this:
Take some ME time.
I have a couple of friends who live the same life I do — you know, student government life — and they understand more than anyone how important it is to take some time for yourself and forget about the FSU, Fanshawe, etc. This has to be the most important thing I've learned so far. I'm the type of person that figuratively runs around with my head cut off. For a long time, my motto was “I'll sleep when I'm dead,” but I recently realized how stupid that statement is. Although not much has changed on the sleep side, I have taken more time out of schedule to relax. I'll drive around, go for a walk or meet up with a friend who isn't high maintenance and just talk.
Ask for help.
I'm still working on this one, but I'm getting better. You can't do everything. You can't be all things to all people. It's humanly impossible to carry a car while solving y” + 4y' + 13y=0, simultaneously explaining to your angry girlfriend that the girl at the bar was your cousin while on your way to the homeless shelter to volunteer — you just can't do it. Take a breath, do one thing at a time, and if you get swamped, ask for help. Trust me, I learned this the hard way.
Don't blog — you'll regret it.
Seriously, when you feel the urge to expose to the world how terrible your day was, please keep it to yourself. Start up a journal — I promise you, this way you'll avoid embarrassment. You'll be able to write whatever you want without telling the world how much you hate so-and-so or starting ridiculous fights on Facebox, Twitter or any other social media account you have set up. Keep it classy, or it'll come nip you in the butt.
Avoid DB's like the plague.
I don't need to spell that one out for you; it's pretty self explanatory. Whether it's crappy friends/acquaintances/boys-men/girlswomen, ditch the baggage. ENJOY these years, these are your college years. Like I was telling Joe Ayotte (VP entertainment) the other day, I love college, you will too.
This is what I've learned so far. If you use them or not, I'm sure one day you'll remember one of these!
Have a good year, Fanshawe!
Vero
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
