Quintessential Kenyon: Student Life, Uncut

One Year Down: What I've Learned

Lanise Beavers
July 20, 2015
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During my first year at Kenyon, I learned so many things about myself.

1.     Know your limits.

I think this is a big one, especially for me. When I speak of limits, I’m mainly talking about sleep. You should know when you function the best and when you can’t. For myself, I know that any class that happens before 9 a.m. will be an absolute struggle. I also know that I can’t study past midnight; my brain starts to hurt and hurl out all the information I learned, and my eyes begin to burn. College has also taught me that I require a minimum of seven hours of consistent sleep (no, naps do not count toward the sum) in order to be a functional human being the next day.

 2.     Treat yo’self.

College can be very stressful at times, and the best way to help combat those moments is to treat yo’self. You can treat yo’self to whatever you think is worthy.

You passed that test?

Treat yo’self!

You woke up on time?

Treat yo’self!

You didn’t slip and fall on Middle Path?

Treat yo’self!

You turned your paper in early?

Treat yo’self!

You get the picture? The “treat” can be whatever you want it to be, whether it’s going to lunch at the Deli, dinner at the VI, bookstore ice cream, starting a new show on Netflix, or buying those shoes you’ve been looking at for the past three weeks.

3.     Work Hard

This one kind of speaks for itself. Put all of your energy and effort into whatever you do.

 4.     Be yourself

Whatever you decide to do during your first year, make sure you stay true to yourself. You should always do what you want, not what others want of you; it’ll make your time in college a much better and more fulfilling experience.