It is kind of a confusing chapter where, at least for me, you feel very unsure about the next step... aka chapter 3. You're kind of "bopping around, not really sure which way's up" & getting smart, but really just going to classes & hoping for that positive letter grade at the end of the semester. Chapter 2 mainly focuses on your future. You don't want it to, & you suppress & deny it every day, but sadly, it's the ugly truth. It's a long, hard road, but in between those readings & lectures there is always room for a good-ole-fashioned study break...
THE LIFE OF THE AVERAGE CHAPTER 2:
-You wake up tired & uncertain what the day will bring
-You probably drink a cup of coffee (or 2)
-You check your grade on E-Learning... most likely frown because it wasn't quite high enough
-You listen to music on your walk to class
-You make it to class right on time & sit in your usual seat, probably middle-back
-You half-listen/half look at facebook/buzzfeed, while the professor instills knowledge into your already beyond capacity brain
-You take some notes, but mostly doodle
-You walk out confused & hungry
-You check your grade again to see if it changed
-You eat lunch & cram for the rest of the day with flashcards, StudyEdge, & packets, LOTS OF PACKETS
-You go to the library
-You stalk ISIS & read up on your teachers
-You stay at Club West until the neon lights burn your eyes & you start making friends with the janitor & the Starbucks staff
-You send some emails
-You laugh when you see 2 guys on a scooter on your walk home & it probably makes your day
-You eat dinner & stare at your textbook for a couple more hours hoping osmosis is real
-You look at the clock & don't know how you missed the last 12 hours that seemed to fly by
-You shower & fall asleep feeling like you forgot something
-You wash, rinse, & repeat
-SOMETIMES you see friends & sometimes you see Midtown (but on occasion, lets be real)
THE NUTSHELL:
In life, parents always tell you, "It doesn't matter how you do as long as you try your hardest." I can tell you with 99.67% certainty that I have been trying my hardest for almost 21 years & yes, sometimes it succeeds & sometimes it doesn't (but hey, that's life & it doesn't mean you are stupid!).
What they forget to tell you is this: "sometimes even your hardest doesn't quite get you that 4.0 that your future seems to looks at." But the thing is... your chapter 3 doesn't know you. That piece of paper you hand your chapter 3, often called a resume, is just a list of things you've done & your grades. But what your future doesn't know is your personality, what makes you so... you. The truth is, your chapter 3 is missing out because you are pretty awesome & they don't even know that.
My very loving mother gave me some wise advise today, she said, "In two years, that bad grade you got on that one quiz in that silly international studies class your junior year is not going to matter." & you know what? She is 100% right. It may seem like THE END OF THE WORLD today, but I promise you it won't change who you are or what you will truly become. It is just a small hiccup in your amazing life.
Now I'm NOT saying: "Congratulations! All this work you do in college is stupid, so you should just quit while you're ahead & maybe possibly turn into Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg & make millions & millions by being a fantastic genius of an inventor." Rather, I am just trying to tell you that you are more than your GPA; you are a unique individual with a personality & a bright future. You are special in your own way.
Sometimes you have a rough day, like I did today, but you just have to remember that not only do you have people out there who love you, but that you can love yourself too. Most of all, don't forget that your parents will ALWAYS love you & most definitely unconditionally.
The thing is... chapter 2 is more than just figuring yourself out & what you want to do with your chapter 3, it is about just experiencing life & becoming a well-rounded you. If you read between the lines in chapter 2, you will see that the margins tell you to go out & enjoy the little things: Make the effort to see friends when you have a spare minute or 2, go out to dinner because you can, talk to people who you have never met before, take a second & listen to Century Tower when the bells go off, get Mochi, fill out that F Book you get during orientation, eat Krishna, fall asleep in Plaza of the Americas, play Humas vs. Zombies, listen to that silly priest in Turlington because it's interesting, stop & stare at those weird blue trees, volunteer, meet someone at the French Fries, apply for EVERYTHING (but don't get too upset when you don't get it), & sit back & truly listen when someone talks to you without any distractions (i.e. no phone).
But really, take a second & breathe. This is your life. This is your present. Your future can wait while you live your life. You only get a chapter 2 once... Make it count.
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