Looking back on the past four years at Le Moyne, I realize how much I’ve grown and most importantly, how much I’ve learned. Whether through living on campus, being involved in campus activities, or taking a variety of classes, being at Le Moyne has taught me so much about myself and about life.

Here are a few life lessons or tokens of wisdom I’ve collected over the past four years. Each one is valuable and carried well beyond our years at Le Moyne:

1) Learn to embrace change and challenge

College requires changing social environments, living arrangements, and academics, but it’s not one to be feared. Change is good and most of the time it’s needed. Along with the change come the challenge—mostly academically. While challenges are constant and stressful, they push you to be the best version of yourself and often open up doors that you would have never thought were available to you. Don’t let the negatives of being challenged discourage you; instead use your energy propel you further than you ever imagination.

2) People are different
You learn this quickly living in a dorm room. I’ve lived in various on-campus housing all four years at Le Moyne and what an experience that has been… Not only do you develop some of your closest friends during your dorm days, but you also create some enemies. I’ve learned that not everyone is like me; they weren’t raised the same way, they don’t have the same values and opinions as me, and most importantly, they don’t have the same habits when it comes to cleanliness.

3) Real friends  

The people you meet at the beginning of college will not necessarily be your friends for all four years. It’s a sad reality that we all have to face, but it’s ok because when some people leave your life, it makes room for those that matter. Over four years you get to know people really well—especially if you live with them, are in the same major, or do extracurriculars together. Eventually you learn who to trust, who not to trust, and who your real friends are. But it’s important to remember quality is preferable to quantity.

 

4) Make the most out of every opportunity

Whether it be academically or socially, treasure your time in college. Four years goes by way faster than you think, trust me. While I’ve tried to take advantage of different opportunities, there are still others I wish I didn’t miss out on. So make the most out of every opportunity that comes your way and if it ends badly, it’ll be a lesson learned and possibly an even better story.

5) It will be ok

College is a bumpy ride. Things go terribly wrong and half the time it can feel like stress is causing your world to collapse. But don’t worry. That feeling eventually passes, and when it does, you’ll learn to appreciate having gone through the bad times because it makes the other times so great.