4 Quotes That Define My First Year of College

The things I’ve learned in one year, each compacted into one sentence.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you purchase through our links. Please read our full disclosure here.

Quotes that have defined my first year of college

As the second semester ends, we are just a year closer to graduation, and one year further into the college experience. The end of the semester is a great time to reflect upon the past few months and what we’ve learned. I know my first year of college has provided me with many a lesson.

So, below are four quotes that define the things I’ve learned and experienced in my first year of college!

1. “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.”

blurred lighting of the word focus

Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.

– Charles R. Swindoll

Life is all about how we react to the challenges that come our way. When we were younger, we had our parents controlling many aspects of our lives, but in college it’s different: We control our own life trajectories. This is a powerful thing to understand.

In college, if something in your life isn’t going the way you want it to, it’s important to realize that you usually have the power to change it. If it’s something you absolutely cannot change, you also have the power to stop letting it adversely affect your mental state. Either way, the control is in your hands.

For me, I’ve been unsatisfied with how networking has gone for me in college, and I’m taking steps to improve my skills in that area. As we all know, networking is key to finding internships and even future employers, especially if you don’t know many people in your major/field. So it’s something I’ve learned to take more seriously this year!

2. “It’s all about quality of life and finding a happy balance between work and friends and family.”

balance of rocks

It’s all about quality of life and finding a happy balance between work and friends and family.

-Philip Green

Family, friends, and academics are my top three priorities. Finding the time to manage a healthy relationship between the three was difficult at times this year because of my extraordinary procrastination skills. 

At the beginning of the year, making new friends and hanging out took up most of my energy, so it hurts to say that my studies and family were at the back of my mind.

If there is one lesson I am taking away from my first year, it’s to remember this quote, because family, friends and academics are going to be the foundation that I will build upon in the next four years. Going forward, I’m going to give them more equal weight in my life.

3. “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

see through fake brain on stand

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.

– Confucius

Rather than finding any job, find one that interests and captivates you. We’ve been told over and over to follow our passions, and college is a great time to explore those passions and turn them into a future career.

There are tons of potential job paths out there right now but finding one that interests you most is hard. Some people in the four years or more years may not find their interest in school, but it is okay because what you majored in may not even be related to what you will be working in in the future! We’ll never know what happens in the next years.

This was difficult for me because I came from a school that was focused for Math and Science so throughout high school I was set on pursing something in the STEM field. Though when I started tackling the science courses in university, it made me doubt my major and I wasn’t sure what my motivations were.

Even though I am still on the journey, keeping this quote in mind is a stepping stone for my future.

4. “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”

kid on bike with sunset

Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.

-Albert Einstein

Once you start a journey, you keep going until you reach your destination. This is a great metaphor for college, an experience that will challenge you in every way possible.

When you find a roadblock, the key is to find a way around it — don’t stop there for a long time. That’s how you get stuck in a slump. And remember, don’t look back — keep moving forward, growing, and changing and leave the past in the past. That’s how we’ll really succeed in college and beyond.

What do you think?

How did your first year end? What were some things you’ve learned along the way? Were there any quotes you follow by? Let us know in the comments below!

Leave a Comment