Opinion
Photo from Pinterest.

Anna-Catherine Kueng ~ Assistant Editor

     Sometimes, I look back and realize how I have matured. When I think about my life last year at this time, a lot has changed. For me, most of my personal growth comes during the school year because that is when life is harder, and growth happens the most in difficult times. With fall semester nearing its end, I thought I would share some things I have learned since starting school in August. 

  1. Amazon Prime is a beneficial investment, and so is Spotify Premium for students. Take advantage of those student discounts while you can!
  2. Clean out your water bottle frequently with hot water and dish soap (even if you only use it for water). 
  3. If you want to go home some weekends, do it. People will always have negative opinions, but you will not be thinking about them when you are home with your loved ones. 
  4. Buying rainboots is something you should do before you get caught in a rainstorm walking back from class. 
  5. Do not neglect things you love to do just because you have overwhelming amounts of homework. If you want to hike, shop, or just go to the gym for a long time on a Saturday, you should. Homework is not more important than your overall well-being. 
  6. Not getting to see someone you love for weeks at a time is emotionally draining. 
  7. Getting to finally see someone you love after not seeing them for weeks at a time is the best feeling ever. 
  8. If people make dumb decisions and put themselves in danger, you should still do what you can to help them. It is not up to you to decide whether people have worth based on their actions. A person is a person, no matter what the circumstance is, and a person always has worth. 
  9. If you are homesick, do not let people make you feel bad about it. On the other hand, if you do not want to go back home, do not let people make you feel bad about that either. We all have different experiences with our hometowns and families. 
  10. If you have to stay here until December 21 for exams, you should get a Christmas tree for your dorm room because if not, there will not be much time to celebrate the holiday.
  11. If you have faith in someone, or something, keep it. You know what you believe, so stick to it even if not everyone agrees with you. Furthermore, you should respect others’ beliefs because you would want people to do the same for you. 
  12. Keeping a stapler in your bookbag really comes in handy when it is time to turn in an assignment and nobody can find a stapler. 
  13. Sometimes, the worst case scenario comes true, but you will be okay. Do not give up and know that if the worst case scenario can happen, that means your best dream could come true one day. Life is full of ups and downs, but it is beautiful. 
  14. Making a countdown until the next break is a nice coping method to get through the semester. 
  15. Things will get better. They always do (I promise).