Written by; Jude Bokovoy
Let the grounds of Western be the place to grow, as a student, future professional and, most importantly, a person.
Open-mindedness — This is the first step. Don’t let past perceptions hold one back from trying new things, befriending new people or giving something another go. On top of that, allow opportunities to come and give them no hesitation.
Adventurous employment — Apply for those interesting jobs that have been too intimidating in the past. Allow oneself to expand one’s skill set and take a leap of faith. Maybe one will shoot for the moon and find themselves among the stars. Meaning, the role in mind may not be the one obtained, but instead it will lead to a different job within the field. Doing this can build one’s resume to get a job within their desired career field right after graduation. This is normally the goal of this whole college thing, right? Who knows, maybe neither will happen and one will get or go back to a ‘typical’ college job. That’s literally the worst that could happen. Might as well try.
Push limits — Take the time here to truly learn. Learn about oneself, about all kinds of subjects, people, activities or anything really. There is such a low risk when it comes to educating oneself within the parameters of time in college. This may be the only time one is fully independent — without any ties — use this as an opportunity to explore. Whether it’s taking an interesting upper-division course without any prior knowledge, or trying a new dish, this is the time for trial and error.
Allow room for growth — The words “you’ve changed” from a friend or loved one weigh heavily over people, holding them back from trying new things, changing unhealthy behaviors and confining them to their own perception of themselves. In all honesty, it’s good, healthy and necessary to change. If there is fear of a person forcing one’s current and past ways against one, that’s an issue that they need to deal with. They’re also probably someone that isn’t good to have so closely or at all. It is crucial to allow oneself the ability to try new things, discover new passions and to even fully reinvent themselves. Imagine if everyone stayed exactly the same since they were middle schoolers. The world would be such a different place. Why confine oneself to a certain stage of life? Become the person one wants to be. Friends with the same standards will follow. If there is one thing to remember from this article, it is to allow room for growth.
Yes, study hard, complete one’s best work and get everything one can with their path of education, but, at the same time, don’t let lectures be the only thing that teaches one during their experience here. Take this unique opportunity to grow in all aspects of oneself.
Contact the author at howllifestyle@mail.wou.edu
