30 Lessons We Learned 2nd Year

During our second year at college we have learned both in and out of class. We wanted to share more with you from our second year of school. Last year we wrote about our Freshmen year of college and the lessons we learned then, so if you’re just starting out that post will also help you out! So again in no particular order, here are our list of things we learned our second year of college!

1. It’s okay to live away from your friends, it’s not gonna kill you and it’ll make your friendship stronger.
2. You don't have to go to every event on campus.
3. You don't have to hang out every time your friends want to get together.
4. Just because your friends are going out to eat does not mean you have to too. Save your money!
5. Its ok to have a down day ever so often. Sometimes something happens and you just don't feel like yourself. Sometimes nothing happens and you don't feel like yourself. And that's fine, embrace your emotions don't try to hide them. But if your friends start to get worried listen to them, they are there to support and help you.
6. College can change you (see this post) and that's ok
7. Even though you have been through a year of school already and know how things work around campus, you certainly don’t know everything. So be prepared when a freshman comes up and blows your mind with something you never knew before.
8. While establishing a routine is good for your health and sanity, definitely try to mix things up once in a while to keep things interesting and fun.
9. When in doubt - Pritox
10. If you are physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted but can’t take a break, find somebody who has enough optimism and encouragement for the both of you. “Whistle while you work” is more fun with a friend! Don’t suffer alone.
11. Do all of your homework before midnight at the latest. Your sleepy self will thank you.
12. Continue to call your parents. While separation anxiety may be new and fresh during freshman year, they continue to miss you the second year too.
13. Don’t feel bad if you are too busy to hang out with people or participate in social events. Your friends will understand and will still love you!
14. Things may be changing all around you, but those chicken finger fridays will always be there to stabilize your week and remind you what day it is.
15. It’s okay to skip a few classes if you need to. We all know who tiresome it can be to go to the same classes over and over again. But if you’re skipping, do something rather then take a nap and don’t skip often.
16. Still talk to your teachers, they love it when people talk to them. Even if you bother them every day, they will start to remember you and when it comes time for them to decide senior awards and internships, you will have made an impact.
17. Don’t try to please everyone, must people by now have had their friend group for quite some time now, but if you try pleasing everyone, it won’t work out really well.
18. As always, don’t do your homework at the last minute. I personally have always tried to get my homework done earlier than the due date so I’m not stressing out. The teachers typically already have what the assignments are up on your student portal, get the work done it helps a lot and you have more free time.
19. Always be looking for internships for your Junior and Senior years.
20. Get involved in the community of where you go to school. We go to school in Fulton, Mo and we have all been more active in our community this year.
21. Make eye contact with people. Don’t just turn your eyes and look away. It could always be a new friend or a person who can help you in the long run.
22. If you want to do something, but their are barriers in the way, make a plan and act. Don’t let one little thing stand in your way.
23. Spring semester is always going to be the hardest, it’s just like senioritis. You want to be done, but don’t let you grades suffer, because you don’t care anymore and want to be done.
24. Don’t book yourself full with other things, that you don’t have time for yourself.
25. Take some time and look around the area you’re going to school in. There maybe a lot of fun things you can do around the area and they may also offer a student discount.
26. If you live on campus, you need to get off campus every once in a while. It’ll get boring looking at the same things every single day, go out for an adventure!
27. When you’re moving in for your second year think about what you want to have to drag out of your room at the end of semester and pack it back up.
28. You may find yourself eating less at your dinning hall and more at Fast Food places or you're cooking your own foods. Both are fine, but if you're paying for your Dining Hall, it’s probably best you eat there.
29.  Find a church you like and stick to going. Don’t use the excuse “it isn’t the same as my church back home”. It still can feed you spiritually even if it isn’t the same as home.
30.  If you have family in town or a family at your church invites you to come over sometime. Take the chance, it gets you off campus, you get good food, and they can be very insightful on life problems.