Top 10 lessons for new students

Listen up, millennials. Class is in session.

I’ve assembled a top 10 list of clichés of life lessons which is, judging by the news feeds I get, the only thing anyone reads any more. I know, cynical student blogger; probably the ultimate cliché. But alas, let’s just get this over with so you can get back the enjoying the start of university.

Enjoy that summer romance, the thrill of youth, and the anticipation of the next chapter of your life. Ironic that we spend the first quarter of our lives wishing to grow up and then the rest of it wanting to go back to our youth. Would I do it all over again? You bet I would. Cause I had a blast. On with the list.

1. Fight for what you believe in.

If you believe in something with a passion you better fight for it with everything you have or else you risk being consumed with regret later.

2. If someone offers you help, take it.

Nobody succeeds on their own. There is a team of people behind every individual success.

3. Success is a marathon, not a sprint.

The most important day of your life is today. It is this moment.

I don’t care if you won a bunch of awards in the past or if you have a big job interview in the future. For you, the biggest moment is the present, always. Make every day count.

4. Opportunities are created by having admirable traits

You associate with people that have traits you value. It’s really that simple. Find out what traits the opportunity you want requires, and acquire them.

5. Prioritize what is beneficial long-term for you.

Yes, the long con always makes the best movies. Don’t be shortsighted, be thinking one step ahead of everyone else.

6. It’s hard to get out of bed in the morning when you’ve got satin sheets.

If you make yourself too comfortable it is hard to find the drive required to keep getting better and evolving.

You get out of your lab late at night; it’s pouring out. You get soaked taking the bus home. There is no food in the house. Your roommates are having a party. And to top it all off, your student loan is approaching 40 grand.

Enjoy it. Embrace suffering. This single moment you can come back to when you need the drive to succeed. If you’re a Calvin and Hobbes fan; his dad would call it “building character”.

7. Motivation is a precious commodity. Use it wisely.

There will be lulls in life where you don’t feel like doing anything or are mildly depressed. However, if you wake up happy to be alive and motivated – work your ass off.

This is your chance to challenge yourself, develop skills, and contribute to humanity. You will come out of this period a more complex version of yourself, adding depth, and another chapter on the story of you.

8. Life is a dynamic equilibrium; don’t be afraid to make the reaction favour you.

Sometimes you need to catch a break in life. You’ve considered the long-term ramifications of an event or decision and you predict the future to be unfavourable for you. Carefully consider how important it is, and if you think this is a break you really need to get.

Think Spider Man on Family Guy: “Everybody gets one”. People will usually do one favour for you if you give a compelling argument. Come up with a plan and exert the maximum amount of influence on the situation. Leave no stone unturned. Make Erin Brockovich proud.

9. Entertainment and enjoyment are necessary in life.

Everybody needs an outlet. Something that you do better than everyone else. A passion you can use to replenish self-confidence and spirit when you are feeling depleted.

10. Waking up with something to do and somewhere to be is a true blessing.

University is tough. Life is tough. Waking up with nothing to do and nowhere to be? That’s debilitating. Like The Biebs says, “you need purpose”.

Bonus #11. Nobody is great 100% of the time.

Don’t be so hard on yourself. You will have multiple lows in university. Build the resilience needed in life to forget about failures. Wake up the next day, re-focus on what needs to be done and carry on.

As I proof read this list, redundancy jumps out at me. Self-help has been reduced to saying the same thing a billion different ways. Brush your teeth; eat your vegetables.

Forget everything you’ve just read. Have as much fun as you can. You’re only young once.

Bonus Summer Reflection:

As the summer drags like a leaf meandering down a river. The mind wanders. This is what our philosophical idols must have felt. Thoughts percolate; fears come to front stage. A paradoxical fear of failure and fear of success.

A lemming falls of a cliff or my invidious attitude leads me to become a despotic leader. Spewing wordy bullshit; a pseudo-intellectual jackass.

Enough. I hit eject. Reality washes over me. The sun kisses me.

Beautiful city; beautiful people in my life. It doesn’t get much better. Enjoy it, stupid.