C- Care. Care for everyone around you. Care for yourself. Care for the Earth. Care for the things you do. Care about your schoolwork. Care about going to class, and doing well in class. Care about your classmates and professors. Care about how you are doing, and know when you need to recharge. Care about who you are and what you bring into the world. Just care.
O- Open up. Find the people you can trust, and be willing to be vulnerable with them. Love and trust them, and let them do the same for you. Life is going to be incredibly lonely if you stick to yourself. College is the perfect time to reach out to those around you. I guarantee you’ll find someone that you relate to is some way or another. Get to know people, find people and learn their stories, and tell them yours. Open your eyes to the beauty of the people around you.
M- Meet people. Learn how to initiate conversation and introduce yourself. Join clubs and go to events. Say hello to people, and be willing to get to know them, you never know who might become your best friend. Be willing to offer a smile to a stranger. Say hello to people when you pass in the hall, instead of just texting. Go get coffee with people. Go as to sit down at the dinner table with a random person in Casado. Get out there and find the light in the people around you.
M- Mean it. Be honest. Learn to listen. Be present. Don’t be afraid to put down your phone, turn off the video games and go live in the world every now and then, you’ll be amazed at what you find. Live fully, don’t be apathetic, dive in and embrace everything you do, from your schoolwork to your hobbies.
U- Understand. Know that everyone is different: we all have our own stories. Be willing to listen and hear other people’s and realize that it’s not just okay to be different: it’s amazing. Everyone is their own person with their own thoughts and beliefs and backgrounds. You are your own person, so let others be their own person, and learn to love them through that.
N- Nice. Be nice. Just be kind to everyone you meet. Everyone has crap they’re going through, don’t make it worse. Learn to love the people around you. Pick up trash and be nice to the Earth. Give people a smile. Hug your family. High five your friends, or random strangers. Do your part in bringing light to this world.
I- Invest. Find close friends, and invest in them. Find the groups, teams, and jobs on campus that you love, and invest in them. Be willing to give your time and effort. It’s worth it. You only get out what you put in. YOGOWYPI. Super cliche, but even more true. You’re only here once, might as well take advantage of it.
T- Trust God. God is amazing. It’s completely incomprehensible. God is huge. God is everything. Trust that God knows what’s going on in your life and that there are things happening that are beyond your control or comprehension. And that it is good.
Y- Yes. Say yes. But in moderation. Take advantage of some of the amazing opportunities life offers. Face your fears. Take risks. It’s never too late to start living. Some of the best memories of your time in college are going to be the times you said yes to a random adventure with your friends, or when you decided to join that club that interested you. Join choir or band or theater, you never know who you might end up meeting that could become your best friend for life. Join the sports teams, be a part of the brother and sisterhoods here on campus.
And as a bonus tip: Don’t forget to Love. Love is the key to all of this. Love of self, neighbor, the world, God, school, work, etc. Love is the answer. Love is the key. Love is. Love.
Photo made available by Baim Hanif via Unsplash
The Mews 
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