At the beginning of senior year, I had my future planned out. I would go to my dream school, join a top sorority, and have an entire friend group all within the first month of college. 

Would you believe me if I told you this didn’t happen? Possibly. But would you believe me if I also told you that I’m the happiest I’ve ever been without having those things? 

My column is dedicated to what almost robbed me of a great college experience: expectations.     I’m an overthinker. I love to plan things out and leave little room for “unknowns”. As you can imagine, starting college in an unfamiliar place with many unknowns was terrifying, so I decided to create a set of expectations for what my life would look like. Little did I know that this decision would cost me months of unfulfillment. 

Life is unpredictable–a lesson that I learned the hard way. The second you step out of high school is the moment when your journey truly begins. You can go anywhere, meet anyone, and see anything. The only thing stopping you from these experiences are the constraining expectations which you hold yourself accountable to.

My advice to you: rip apart that list of expectations.

Easier said than done, but it’s by far the greatest lesson I have learned throughout my freshman year. The second I let go of my expectations was the moment I truly began to enjoy college and embrace every new experience. Without that pivotal realization, my life would not exist as it does today, at the school I currently attend, with my best friends and boyfriend, and the global internship I will embark on this summer. 

Continue to set goals for yourself, but lose the expectations. The opportunities after high school are limitless, and many are still unknown to you. So don’t let your current projections hinder you from seeing what else is out there. 

You are about to start an amazing journey. Sit back and enjoy the ride.