Good night, good night, parting is such sweet sorrow
That I shall say goodnight, 'til it be 'morrow!
- William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
Alas, my time to say goodbye to my life as a Rutgers Student Blogger has come. 'Tis a very somber night indeed, but also one of pure exuberance for things to come!
*snaps out of English mode*
I'm on an English high because I declared my major and it showed up in the directory, YAY!
(Uhhhhh I can't believe I'm going to be a sophomore in college in like three days. I'm feeling infinite?!)
Like my title implies, peacing out to the Rutgers Admissions Blog and pretty much my first full year as a college student is actually making me sentimental, terrified, and also exhilarated. It's been a pleasure writing for you all--and blogging duty for a whole year actually kept me in line and forced me to recollect and remember everything I could. Not that I didn't want to, but because I knew the first year of college would be a crazy rollercoaster ride and I wasn't sure if I could keep up enough to blog. But I did it! And had an awesome audience to go with it, so thanks! I hope you enjoyed reading about all the whacko things I tackled as much as I did actually trying to do it all!
That paragraph begs the following questions...:
What can I possibly leave you with? An awesome piece of advice? Another Dawnism? Funny tales from this past year? My autograph?
(Just kidding about that last one, but if you see me around say hi!)
My parting words (a.k.a. things I wish someone told me last summer, but which you have the privilege of hearing right now):
1) Have no regrets. Ever since I believed in this, I've never been HAPPIER in my life. You win some, you lose some.
2) Life happens. This also means change happens. Let it. Sit back and ride the rollercoaster that it is. It's a pleasant surprise.
3) Keep a blog or a journal. Maybe you're the next New York Times bestseller! Even if you think what happens to you is insignificant, you'll love looking back on it in years to come. Even if you hate writing, it's an innate ability. Use it!
4) Challenge yourself. Every day. It's those little goals that build up confidence and get you through the days. Wake up before your alarm. Go vegan for a day. Ask someone you just met to hang out. DON'T miss that bus. Get to know Mama Brower. Write a haiku. Walk into office hours for the first time. Go to a club meeting. Actually brush your teeth for more than 60 seconds. Go for a jog around DOUGLASS<3 (gotta let my DRC pride shine through one more time...)
5) Don't live your life through a camera lens. Strike a balance between recording your memories and living them.
6) Find your niche. You might not find one right away, but Rutgers (heck, LIFE) has so much to offer that I truly believe everyone finds their place.
7) NEVER give up on yourself. Confidence is key, fake it til you make it, etc. Don't give up on yourself just because something seems hard... you will surprise yourself more than anyone else can or will.
8) Hold onto your passion. Or discover it. Or rediscover it. Or reinvent it. And don't be afraid to be unabashedly in love with your passion. It shines through your entire personality.
9) Use social media--wisely. My Twitter landed me two writing gigs! Get one, keep it professional, and get your name out there!
10) Smile and laugh. Sometimes that's all you can do, even when the bad stuff gets in the way. It just means you're growing if you're hurting. Laugh until someone thinks you're cray-cray. I promise you'll feel even a tiny bit better :)
11) Life is good--always. No explanation needed.
This could be you!
You're about to embark on the most wonderful journey of your life thus far!
Good luck to you all--show this year who is boss!
(That's right, YOU are.)
RUTGERS STUDENT BLOGGER LOVE,
Dawn
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