College is supposed to be a time of personal and intellectual growth, and with that I want to highlight six of the biggest highlights and lessons that occurred outside of the classroom.
Greek Life: it probably comes as no surprise to anyone, but Greek life was a huge part of my college experience. Nothing better explains it than the memorable quote our advisor read us at senior tea just before classes ended: "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times." I grew up idolizing my mother's college sorority experience and was so excited to start my own when I got to college, waiting impatiently for the first semester to pass by. Throughout my three and a half years in Kappa Kappa Gamma, I had plenty of amazing experiences like getting to be on Panhellenic Exec, taking a sisterhood retreat to Disney World, and helping facilitate chapter programs. At the same time, though, the experience was not perfect. And while I did not recognize it at the time, I am thankful that it wasn't because I had the chance to learn and grow as a result of the experience.
Running: running became a safe haven for me the summer before my junior year of college, when due to odd circumstances I was not able to join the gym where I was interning. Rather than sit on my butt and be lazy that summer, I took the opportunity to really get back into running and found myself signing up for my first half marathon that fall. I ended up running three half marathons in college, all of which required significant discipline, sacrifice, and training. I had to learn how to prioritize myself within the realm of a crazy school schedule and homework, as well as bounce back after a minor injury caused a slight setback. Because of running, I was not only able to stay in shape but also developed a newfound sense of confidence that helped push me through difficult situations and times.
Homecoming: a fun fact about me is that I never in a million years thought that I would attend the University of Miami because I craved a college experience outside the state of Florida with seasons and something different. In deciding to come to UM, I developed a strong bond between myself and my grandfather who attended the school in its earlier years. In an effort to bridge that connection, one of the first ways I got involved at school was by participating in Homecoming events with my freshman dorm. As the years went on I became a team captain and later got involved by being a part of the Executive Committee, which was by far one of my greatest experiences in college. Homecoming offered me a different arena of people to spend my time with and gave me unprecedented leadership opportunities and friendships. It allowed me to develop a love for UM that I had never experienced before, but then again how else can you find that than by spending Friday night on the campus bridge watching fireworks in the midst of a 33-person group hug?
Living with People: this was a no-brainer for me. Living with people adds something to the college experience than just by being an academic institution; it gives you a sense of being home. While none of my roommate experiences were perfect, they taught me plenty about how to learn to live with people while also learning about myself. I had the opportunity to live with ten different women, whether it was sharing a dorm room, suite or apartment, and while we may not all be close friends, each of them gave me a different perspective on a situation that I may not have noticed before and allowed me to learn and grow in an environment outside the classroom. Hence, there is a reason why the dorms on campus are called residential colleges.
Finding My People: this kind of relates to points 1, 2 & 4 but also deserves to stand on its own. When I first came to UM, I felt a need to be outgoing just so I could meet people and call them "friends." With this outlook, I found myself making "friends" but they were not necessarily "my people" because they did not like me for me; they liked me for who they thought I was. While this was difficult as a freshman to understand, it took me nearly 4 years of college to really find the friends who I could consider "my people." They were the ones I lived with senior year of college; the ones who could drop everything and be there at the drop of a hat; the ones who don't mind ordering in takeout and watching SNL on a Saturday night rather than going out; the ones who DO go out with you and make sure you have a good time; the ones who push you to be a better version of yourself; the ones who are there first when things are bad. One of my friends best described this whole concept of finding close friends by saying that "you grow as a person by surrounding yourself with people who support you." And that could not be more true.
The Deal with Recognition: I found that high school was all about who could earn the best grades, be the most involved and get into the most & best colleges. I was so happy to get to college and have a break from that madness, only to find out that it could escalate. Suddenly there were times I would find myself competing with others to earn the best grades, be the most involved, win the most awards, and get into the most post-graduate institutions. That was hard. Oftentimes I felt myself drained and overwhelmed to the point where I felt the need to drop some leadership positions and student organizations for the betterment of my college experience. But then I felt bad because how could I ever compete with people even more involved than myself and any chance of recognition would go out the window? I did get recognized here and there, and in fact, all three times I was taken completely by shock. Recognition is nice, but I think it is actually better when it is taken by surprise and/or for something you truly love. We all want the highest leadership roles and awards and titles but it is so much better to love what you do and let that be the recognition in itself.
And there you have it. 4 years summarized in a single blog post. I actually did learn a thing or two from my classes and about my major, but hey, those are nothing compared to my personal growth.
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