Stuff I wish someone told me

  Remember how a year ago or so I opened up about the reality I was facing about my education? I was really down in the ditches. Fast forward to a year later, the Universe has showered me with a endless blessings. I got my high school diploma the first try, I got my driver's license the second try and today, I am officially in college. 

  I am no longer bummed out over the fact that everyone is ahead of me because in my tiny, little mind, I am moving at my own pace and I am ahead of everyone. My college placement test was scheduled for today 05/23/2016. I have to admit, I didn't do a lot of revision which I later, regretted (but with very little guilt). I took the time to wake up at 5:30 AM to get my make up done - instead of studying, of course. I reached the Eastern Campus at 8:00AM on the dot. 

  I was the second person in line to register myself and later found myself in the 'Shark Tank' which is actually the waiting lounge. SCCC's mascot is a Shark, GO SHARKS! Testing was supposed to begin at 9:00AM but we had a little mini tour around the campus. I was familiar with the campus. I went for the Open House back in April last year. 

  I like the environment on the Eastern Campus. It has that typical scene that you see on college catalogs. You know how you see these groups of students with books in their hands sitting on the grass, under a tree, in the sun, laughing like life isn't bad. Yeah, those types of scenes. 

  They have a large library and all printing is free with no page limits! They have a planetarium with a dome on the inside where you can catch a glimpse of the exact alignment of the planets. There is also a game room in the cafeteria with wii and xbox! All the accommodations and facilities have to be taken advantage of to the fullest! Someday, I'll give you a little on-campus experience.

  The placement test I took today wasn't hard but me suffering from pre-test anxiety resulted to a shaky score on Algebra. Nevertheless, the subjects I will be taking this Fall are COM101 (Communication), MAT007 (Math), SPN101 (Spanish), ENG101 (English) and HIS101 (History). I had the option to do philosophy too, I just might take it up for next semester or wherever my credit permits. 

  I can't wait to experience the American student life on campus! I can't wait to make friends and join clubs! I got myself a Suffolk sweatshirt from the campus bookstore to officiate myself. 

  There are so many things I wish I could tell younger me about the future. Since I am not a time traveler, I want to pass on a little wisdom to those who are at a point of their lives where they seem clueless about what they want to do in life. 

• Have a rough sketch of your future - It's okay to set goals and dreams but everything you exaggerate will fall into the hands of reality, eventually. You can plan your future from A - Z but its the hyphen in the middle that takes place. That tiny hyphen is your everything. Your failure and your success.
• DO NOT OVERTHINK - Once you start picturing ambitious goals, you will get your head wrapped around the idea of making that goal/dream happen so bad that you will disappoint yourself along the way. You blame God for not letting things happen the way YOU want them to. Believe me, trust in God, your plans may be good but His plans are GREAT.
• Take a break after high school - This is taboo to your folks, your aunties and your uncles but do yourself that big favor and live for a bit. 11/12 years of being in school can definitely confine a person. 1 year is all you need, get a job, go to music festivals, learn pottery! I promise you in that 1 year, life can teach you a lot. From the people you meet, to the new-found talents you discover. You'll have lots of time to figure what is your true calling. 
• Focus on yourself - Be as selfish as you can be (mind you, there's a difference between selfishness and arrogance) I'm going to be an old whiny auntie and say study first, love later. In your late teenhood and early 20's you are unstable. Emotionally, financially but not physically. Hormones would be raging at this point. On a serious note, focus on you. When you are not tied down to someone, you have more time for you - more time to fix your appearance, more time to get a new hobby, more time read, more time to sleep, etc. By having all this extra time, you are slowly being the best possible version of you and when you vibrate on a positive frequency, you attract like terms. People will find you more attractive (I don't mean that as in features) People will be drawn to you because of how you life yourself up. 
• Be ever so patient - I am the least patient person I know but trust me on this, perseverance is key. I have hit so many bumps in the road but I knew very well that once I overcome every speed bump, I'm one step closer to continuing my journey. Don't think about the finish line, think about the good times that await you. I believe happiness and contentment come in little abundance. 
• Move at your own pace - You don't have to be pressured by your peers. Just because they're having it before you, doesn't mean your left behind. I've tried to catch up with the people around me and every single time I did, I fell far behind. God has set things to your own pace. It could be sooner, it could be later. Success may come to your friends first before you. You find yourself working just as hard as them but you're nowhere near their success. Move at your own pace. Don't rush. Why? Because a month down the road (for instance) your success will double up! This isn't some miracle bullshit story, stuff like this really does happen, on the daily even! Just observe.

  These are just a few I could sum up based off of my personal experience. You may take these pointers as general tips but try an embody each of them. The best way to live life is to not have a plan but to have a peace of mind. Your life cannot be written down with pen and paper. Your goals can, your dreams can but not how you achieve it. 

thilamisu