None of my favorite shirts have ever started out as my favorite.
My current favorite, a green T-shirt with the state of Minnesota in the middle and the word
“NICE” underneath, started out as almost the opposite. I picked it out of a clearance bin in a record store in Minneapolis, thinking that since it was cheap (and since I’m indecisive to a fault), it would suffice.
The weird thing is that the more I wore it, the more I realized how much I actually loved it. It fit well, the green was a really great color that went with just about anything and I got to show off my love for Minnesota. That seemed like a win-win.
While I know you’ll likely see me on campus at some point sporting this shirt, the “moral” is more about expectations than it is about my favorite shirt.
Whether you are a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior, there are certain expectations you may have about this year or even college in general.
This summer’s global and national news may have left a strange taste of despair and negativity in the mouths of students, but that should not be a foreshadowing of more bad things to come.
A positive mental attitude and an open mind can do wonders, while going into life with certain expectations can hinder growth and keep you from finding interests that you may never knew you had.
If I could give advice to any person regardless of grade or age, it’s this: say yes and say no.
Say yes to things you’re unsure about. If there’s a new club you aren’t familiar with, go to a meeting. See what it’s about. If a friend invites you to a restaurant or a place you’ve never been to, go check it out. The worst thing that can happen is that you won’t like it, but at least you experienced it.
Knowing when to say no is the most valuable bit of knowledge I’ve gained over the past few years. If you truly don’t feel like going somewhere, doing something, seeing someone – whatever it may be – saying no will save you the burden of trying to act like you’re happy and having a good time when everyone knows you aren’t.
This all comes back to expectations. Hopefully we’re at a point where we can accept that our friends, families and co-workers expect certain things from us, but they also understand that we have our own lives to live in the way we choose.
College is a beautiful place. Keeping your mind open can lead you places you never thought you’d be and really shape who you are.
So try on as many shirts as you can. You might unexpectedly find your favorite.
