University is advertised as a chance to add and build and learn new things. Because it is a chance to do all those things. And they’re great! But they’re not the only advantage of uprooting your entire life and moving somewhere new. An even bigger advantage, as it’s one of the few true times in life you get to do this, is the chance to forget the old things.
Got a bad habit? Ditch it! Got a bad reputation? Not anymore! Bullied by jerks? They didn’t come here, or if one or two did they’re just as new as you here. Most of our lives are spent in the same places, surrounded by the same groups, bound by the same structures and regulations. But breaking with high school frees you from more of those structures than most students realize. They still operate as if someone is watching closely, taking notes, ready to punish them if they do something radically different to before.
The only person who knows what you used to do is you. And it’s your decision whether you want to keep doing that. Or do something different! New! Better! Because it’s not just your surroundings which have been changed. Your own mind has been dropped in an entirely new environment where it has an incredible opportunity to expand. You’ve been kicked into a new mode of thinking, a new set of responsibilities, and if there are any changes you want to make to your own mind now’s the time to make them.
With so many changes already going on in your life — everything from the skyline to how you launder your clothes — it’s easier to make more. People with the same schedule every day often settle into inertia, making it harder to try something new. You’re already changing your life. So why not change it some more?
Not just learning where your new lecture halls are, but deciding to get there earlier, and go more places in between. Not just working out how to budget food but learning to cook more delicious things for less money. Pick up a language. Start a new sport. Studying ahead of time instead of leaving everything to the last minute. Whether you want to aim for a Nobel prize, or just stop leaving your dirty underwear on the floor, now’s the time to make that change.
Any change you make now will help you through your whole life.
Got a bad habit? Ditch it! Got a bad reputation? Not anymore! Bullied by jerks? They didn’t come here, or if one or two did they’re just as new as you here. Most of our lives are spent in the same places, surrounded by the same groups, bound by the same structures and regulations. But breaking with high school frees you from more of those structures than most students realize. They still operate as if someone is watching closely, taking notes, ready to punish them if they do something radically different to before.
Forgetting the old to better learn the new.
The only person who knows what you used to do is you. And it’s your decision whether you want to keep doing that. Or do something different! New! Better! Because it’s not just your surroundings which have been changed. Your own mind has been dropped in an entirely new environment where it has an incredible opportunity to expand. You’ve been kicked into a new mode of thinking, a new set of responsibilities, and if there are any changes you want to make to your own mind now’s the time to make them.
With so many changes already going on in your life — everything from the skyline to how you launder your clothes — it’s easier to make more. People with the same schedule every day often settle into inertia, making it harder to try something new. You’re already changing your life. So why not change it some more?
Not just learning where your new lecture halls are, but deciding to get there earlier, and go more places in between. Not just working out how to budget food but learning to cook more delicious things for less money. Pick up a language. Start a new sport. Studying ahead of time instead of leaving everything to the last minute. Whether you want to aim for a Nobel prize, or just stop leaving your dirty underwear on the floor, now’s the time to make that change.
Any change you make now will help you through your whole life.
