When I was in your shoes just a few months ago, man, I was eager to be DONE. Give me that Bachelor's in Spanish and let me get OUT.
But as a young, first-year teacher, I miss the days when I was surrounded by other young early 20's folk instead of being one of the four teachers at my school under the age of 40. It's hard to make friends just because, well, you aren't surrounded by 40,000 students anymore or 500 clubs to meet people who like the same stuff you like.
Life changes, folks. Lemme tell you how life jumps from being a college kid to a baby professional. And since I'm a Spanish teacher and such...might as well put the headings en espanol.
Amigos. College rocked. Friends that after an international student ministry service event, would drag you to Waffle House at 2 AM as you walk down Tennessee Street, terrified of the very wasted people you see? Or that time they kidnapped you and threw you in Westcot Fountain in February temperatures for your 20th birthday?! And the best part? You could meet these said friends anywhere-campus social events, classes, volunteer shindings, at 12 AM at Breakfast for a Buck, whatevs.
When you graduate, your pals graduate..and move away from you. You get bored and lonely sometimes. Yeah, you cooooulld make new amigos in your workplace...but in the professional world, you don't really associate with co-workers outside of work that much. Yeah. Lamesauce!
Aventuras. When you're in college, you have time for adventures-and long ones at that! It's easy to do so if you're smart about it! When else in my life would I get to serve God as a student missionary in the rural Andes, a children's malnutrition center in Guatemala, serving Latino immigrants in Texas, or as a summer camp counselor??? In college....du'oy!!!!!
Enjoy this time. Cuz when you graduate, you'll have a full-time job to worry about, a family, and other big kid responsibilities. God is awesome and I know that He'll totes take me to other cool places! But...your choices get waay more limited.
Pasion. Now's the time to figure out your passion! Join a club. Go off somewhere cool for a summer. You'll find out what you're passionate about. For me, I volunteered to teach ESL at FSU for three semesters, which showed me how much I cared about helping people learn English and adapt to life in this country. I led an international student ministry for two years, which showed me that I had a burden for people who were new to the US adjust to life here and have a better life for themselves and their families. I worked for a foreign language lab for a semester, which showed me that I nerd out over teaching Spanish.
Yeah, find out your passions in college. Cuz afterword..well..it's kinda too late.
And this blog could probably use a better way to end, but it's 10 PM and I'm a working professional, not a college kid anymore. So it's too late. I gotta go.
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