10 Things I Learned This Summer

Hey there, it’s been a while! I took a break from blogging because I wanted to focus on my internship, but now that I am back at school, I will be posting more regularly. I felt like I went through a lot of personal growth this summer, so I wanted to share 10 things that I learned:

1) Early bird > night owl

From conversations with others to reading internet bios, it seems like every successful person ever wakes up at an ungodly hour. Tbh I’m kind of neither, and would like to get 10 hrs of sleep every night if possible. But I do feel like I have a more productive day when get out of bed earlier, so next semester, I’m going to schedule 8 AM classes…ok maybe 9:30’s…

2) Friendships redefined

One of the biggest adjustments this summer was not having all of my friends within a 2 mile radius like I did in west campus. If I wanted to keep up with someone else’s summer adventures, I had to set aside time to call/Facetime or grab a meal with them. As much as I would like to, it’s impossible to keep up with everyone and their busy lives. I had to be selective about which friendships to actually invest in, and I think this summer served as good foreshadowing for post-graduate life.

3) Value family time

I read somewhere that the average number of hours a person spends with their parents after he/she enters the working world is less than 300. As in 300 hours total, for the remainder of their life. Is that not absolutely INSANE?!! While I understand that most stats like these are made up, it still definitely got to me. I started making a conscious effort to spend quality time with my family because at the end of the day, they are the most important people in my life.

4) Your reputation proceeds you

So cliché, but so true. Just be kind to other people, and don’t treat others in ways that you wouldn’t want to be treated. Simple enough.

5) EQ vs. IQ

I definitely have been in environments where I felt under-qualified, but this summer I was surrounded by some of the smartest people I have ever met. Even though I’m pretty outgoing, there were moments when I just didn’t speak up because I was afraid to sound stupid. What I came to realize is that everyone has their strengths and insecurities, and just because I may not be the smartest person in the room, it doesn’t mean I can’t contribute in another meaningful way. Find out what you’re good at, and just continue to work on the other things.

6) Ask for help

I was very lucky to have had some incredible mentors by my side this summer. They were there to answer any and all of my work-related questions, and also provided a ton of general life advice. Seek out a few mentors around you, and don’t forget to pay it forward when it’s your turn to help others.

7) Plan out the outfits for the entire week on Sundays

I traveled to a different city Mondays through Thursdays, so I had to pack my closet for the week. But I think I would have done the same even if I wasn’t traveling, because this saved me so much time in the mornings. I even started doing this in the school year!

8) Be present & live in the moment

As a blogger, I definitely admit to being a social media junkie. But in the real world, no one cares what your IG feed looks like, or how many views you get on your Snapstory. There were so many occasions when I chose to put away my phone and ended up having a better time. While I do enjoy having documented moments for sure, I think it’s important to find the right balance. I find that the longer I go without social media, the less I miss it. Try it if you don’t believe me!

9) Trust the process

For the most part, I am a pretty decisive person. But of course, I have moments of serious doubt. Did I choose the right city to live in? Do I want to pursue blogging full-time? Should I study abroad during my senior year? I’m definitely a planner in my day-to-day life, but what I’ve learned is that I can’t plan out the next decade, or even the next 2 years. There’s no sense in trying to control every outcome, so just see where you land in the next 6 months, and reassess from there.