When You Wish You Coulddo the Dsy Allover Again

Dear first-twelvemonth me,

My growing excitement to write this post quickly diminished when I realized my days as a academy educatee was drawing to a close. How do I even begin to pen my feel?

To be frank, I marched into student life with a plan to reinvent myself into this well-rounded, intelligent, compassionate, and self-sufficient young woman who by the time her status every bit a educatee expires, would exist at the peak of her "togetherness." But, due to my life-long boxing with perfectionism that slightly borders neuroticism (only sometimes), I can say with a heavy-heart that the journey ahead of me is going to be a long and tiresome one.

Are at that place things I would do differently if I could practice it all over over again? Yes – and no, for reasons I will disclose after on. But first, here are some things I would practise differently if I had the chance for a do-over.

1. Focus on learning and cherish experiences

Equally students, nosotros measure ourselves using a metric system that praises those on the higher end. But, nosotros oftentimes forget that merely like wearing apparel no 1 is a one-size-fits-all, and so it doesn't seem fitting that we buy into such a arrangement. Right? Just when your career, graduate schoolhouse, self-esteem, parental force per unit area, and social belonging (and the list goes on) are all, in one way or another determined by this continuum, it's not easy to just ignore it. If you let the numbers and scores be the byproduct of your learning experience and non the other way around, you'll be amazed by where yous'll naturally fall on the scale. Merely even so, past focusing your intentions on the knowledge you'll accept away with you, it'll make the hardest or near unexciting classes a lilliputian more enjoyable. Long story short, it's all about mental attitude.

2. Stop dwelling on the hereafter or the past, and focus on the present

From a young age nosotros were taught the importance of planning ahead; by 17, our brains are wired to think in future tense. But the more time spent visualizing; playing and re-playing all the scenarios that could potentially (emphasis on potentially) come your fashion, the more you tend to miss out on what'due south going on right in front of you. I'thousand definitely no expert, but an amazing way to achieve this is past doing ane thing every single day that helps you take your mind off of the "what ifs." For me, that's been exercising or simply finding a way to motility my body first thing in the morning; Information technology helps set the tone for how the rest of my day will become. And so whether that is reading a book or going for a run, find one thing that will continue your mental health in check. There's a saying: "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift, that's why information technology'south called the present!" And then brand sure y'all take fourth dimension and cherish all the gifts yous are given throughout the day.

3. Mentors mentors mentors

Oprah Winfrey once said, "A mentor is someone who allows you to run into the hope within yourself." The best mode to learn is from those who have lived through experiences that are quickly budgeted you. A expert way to exercise this is to utilize the office hours that your professors offer. Instead of seeing your classes or professors as just another checkbox you lot need to tick off from your listing of things to practise, try and foster a 18-carat connection with them. Do this by request them questions you have in regards to their class; once you feel comfy, you tin open up the give-and-take to more than personal matters like career planning. Continue in mind that mentorship is suitable for any area of your life; not just in academics, so start creating your circumvolve of mentors!

4. Gratitude is the all-time medicine for stress

Gratitude is only something almost of the states hear when the holiday season rolls around. But practicing gratitude as part of your daily routine has been scientifically proven to take overwhelming benefits in all areas of life. Gratitude accompanies a wealth of positive emotions; happiness, humility, compassion, and the list goes on. Acknowledging elementary pleasures in life will unshackle you from the negativity that is weighing you downwards. A style to exercise this is to keep a gratitude periodical, or better nevertheless, limited it verbally to anything or anyone you are grateful to. The central to this is to sit with that feeling once y'all've accessed information technology. Everyone has different means of practicing gratitude, so detect your unique way of tapping into that mindfulness center of your brain.

5. Cover your journey; don't change a affair.

Remember when I said there are reasons I would not change my university experience? Well here it is. This is probably the most rewarding and freeing advice yous can ever adopt. Just as a perfectionist, it was definitely the hardest 1 to swallow. Imperfections, failures, losses, and setbacks prevarication in every corner of life; it took me multiple self compassion-parties to realize that. Although there are many moments throughout my university experience I wish I could hit the rewind button on, I wouldn't take learned annihilation new if it weren't for the one-too-many mistakes I made during my experience. So be comfortable with the uncomfortable, and fail difficult, fail frontwards, fail successfully.

Sincerely,

Lia

urbinaclacknesing.blogspot.com

Source: https://learningcommons.ubc.ca/what-i-would-do-differently-if-i-could-do-university-all-over-again/

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