What I Learned in College

Originally posted: Wednesday, July 18, 2007 9:46am

I wrote the following the day I graduated from N.C. State in the Spring of 99:

I've learned how to be a good student; I've learned how to be a teacher; I've learned how to be a roommate (good and bad); I've learned how to be a long-term girlfriend (good and bad); I've learned that no matter how much things stay the same—things are constantly changing and vice-versa; I've learned how important family really is, even if they have learned no such thing, yet; I've learned that PMS does exist, and that no matter how old you are, you still get zits; I've learned how not to overdraft my checking account, and that you really should pay off credit card debts promptly; I've learned that being the drunkest is never a pretty sight, and that moderate drinking speaks volumes about one's self-control and self-esteem; I've learned there is substantial value in kindness, and genuine kindness can never be feigned—that people are inherently good but are too often ignorant of that fact; I've learned that education has very little to do with books and tests, and much to do with teachers and personal experience; I've learned that men are terrified of women, and know not what they do. I truly believe that, generally speaking, women are smarter, more, rather than less in control of their emotions, and much better at keeping things in perspective; I've learned that good friends forgive you no matter what you do, as long as you're willing to admit your own fault and learn from your mistakes; I've learned that NO MATTER where you go—there you are, and no amount of distance can separate your past from the formation of what you've become; I've learned that people are attracted to self-confidence more than a pretty face and nice legs; and I've learned that no matter what happens from here on out nothing will ever benefit me more in the long run than a solid attempt at human decency; and humor always prevails.