10 Realizations I Had as a Graduating Student from a State University

I'm just a few weeks away from graduating and these are my realizations I've had throughout my college journey. Some of them may also serve as helpful tips for incoming freshmen.

These are all based on my personal experiences. Take what resonates with you and leave what doesn't.

1. Rest is underrated.

I usually hear from my friends or blockmates that they would sacrifice sleep just to review and get higher grades. I tried to keep up with that mindset too, except I still made sure to sleep. What I rarely did, though, was actually rest. Yung tipong magdamag akong nag-aaral para lang maka-keep up because I was anxious na baka mag-fail ako sa dami ng inaaral sa college. Yung isang module nung SHS, kakarampot lang na lesson sa college kaya whole day talaga akong nag-aaral.

Eventually, nagkasabay-sabay na yung problems sa bahay, personal life, at school. Unti-unti akong nakakaramdam ng symptoms of hyperventilation hanggang sa inatake na ako. Hanggang sa inaatake na ulit ako because I became scared of experiencing it again. It became a cycle and I honestly thought hindi na ako makakalabas doon.

I won't delve much into how I got through it but one thing I learned was compassion towards myself. I learned how to rest and be intentional with how I spent my days. Whenever I could, I tried to make rest a non-negotiable. I chose to study with intention instead of studying just for the sake of getting high scores.

Before I knew it, it's been years since my last hyperventilation episode.

2. Always choose to do good.

One thing I learned during college is that people may not always remember your name, grades, or achievements, but they'll remember how you treated them.

But that doesn't mean you'll act kind because you want to be on someone's good side or because you're expecting something in return. Be kind because it's the right thing to do. Help people because you genuinely want to, not because you want people to owe you.

Maliit lang ang mundo. You never know when your paths will cross again.

3. It's okay to enjoy college with your friends but don't let peer pressure dictate your priorities.

College is more fun when you have people beside you. Pero minsan, kailangan mo ring piliin ang sarili mo.

Kung kailangan mo nang kumilos, magpasa, o mag-review, do it. Minsan kasi people will ask you to wait for them or delay your own progress so they won't have to do it alone. If doing so puts your own progress at risk, it's okay to choose yourself even if they're your friends.

4. Friendships change and that's okay.

One thing I learned in college is that not every friendship stays the same and that's normal.

There will be seasons where priorities change. Minsan mas magiging busy ka sa thesis, internship, org work, part-time job, o personal problems. Minsan sila naman ang magiging busy.

Because of that, some friendships naturally fade, not because someone became a bad friend, but because life simply pulled both of you in different directions. I'm guilty of this too. As someone who gets fixated on solving problems, I sometimes overlooked things that were also important, like checking in on my friends.

If you still value the friendship, don't hesitate to reach out every once in a while. A simple "Kumusta ka?" or "Kaya pa?" can go a long way. Sometimes, small gestures are enough to remind someone that even though life gets busy, they're not forgotten.

5. Be on time. Try not to procrastinate.

One thing college taught me is that we usually think we have more time than we actually do.

Biglang may emergency.

Biglang may family problem.

Biglang may requirement sa ibang subject.

Life doesn't always follow your schedule.

Doing things earlier gives you room to breathe when unexpected things happen. I experienced this firsthand when we had sudden family vacations, emergencies, and unexpected responsibilities.

6. If you have the means and time, prepare your own lunch and snacks.

Isa ako sa mga masuwerte na palaging may baon kapag pumapasok.

Bukod sa makakatipid ka, hindi mo na kailangang pumila at maghintay nang matagal para bumili ng pagkain. Mas marami kang oras para mag-review, gumawa ng requirements, magpahinga, o simpleng kumain nang hindi nagmamadali. Ang laking tulong din ng snacks lalo na kapag tuloy-tuloy yung schedule mo maghapon.

And don't forget to drink enough water. May kilala ako na nagkaroon ng kidney stones and one of the things their doctor emphasized was staying hydrated.

7. If you have free time, especially before graduation, invest in yourself.

I'm not saying na dapat lagi kang productive.

Still enjoy life. Rest. Go out with your friends.

Pero kung may 20–30 minutes kang free time, try learning something new.

Upskill. Read books. Listen to podcasts. Take free online courses. Apply for internships. Explore different skills.

The job market is competitive and every little skill you gain today can become an advantage after graduation.

8. Make time to reflect.

One of the things I wish I had done more during my college years was to simply pause and reflect.

Sa sobrang dami ng requirements at kailangang gawin, parang wala nang oras para isipin kung ano ba talaga yung natututunan ko sa mga pinagdadaanan ko.

This reminded me that even during difficult times, I was still growing. Instead of focusing only on what was going wrong, I learned to appreciate how I was dealing with my struggles and how far I had come.

9. Try not to doom scroll.

This might seem random in my list but it genuinely helped me stop wasting so much time during college.

I'm not against social media. I'm against mindlessly spending hours consuming content that wasn't really helping me grow. I realized I was losing hours of my day feeding myself information that wasn't meaningful and, at times, was affecting how I viewed myself, my future, and even my expectations in life.

Be intentional with what you consume because what you repeatedly feed your mind eventually shapes how you think.

10. Take care of your body because your brain depends on it.

This connects back to my first realization. Aside from learning how to rest, I also learned how to eat properly and take better care of my body.

I slowly learned to enjoy being physically active because it helped clear my brain fog, improved my sleep, and became one of the biggest reasons why I gradually recovered from my anxiety.

Looking back, I realized that taking care of my body wasn't separate from studying. It became one of the reasons I was able to keep showing up.

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I hope this can be helpful to some of you and I hope you'll take it with a grain of salt. This post is meant to share what I've learned, not to give universal advice. I know how difficult college can be, esp when you're struggling financially. If you're also a graduating student or if you've already graduated, I'd love to read your realizations too! <3

To all the incoming college freshmen, as well as those in their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year, I'm wishing you success in your academics and all your future endeavors. Padayon!