manifesto: what i've learned my junior year

Over the course of my junior year I have come to believe...

- that there exist people just like you in the least likely of places.

- that College Station is made bearable by the people who live here with you.

- that your roommates are just as adequate as any therapist.

- that driving back to school before dawn on Monday morning after a weekend at home and watching the sunrise can be the most rewarding 90 minutes of the whole week.

- that sometimes the most uncomplicated relationships are the most rewarding and stimulating.

- that professors can actually be extremely helpful and caring people, and they want to get to know you.  Even if you haven't taken a class from them in a year.

- that a concert in Houston two days before a major paper is due is the perfect reason for a last minute road trip with your friends.

- that even the people you think you know inside and out still have secret talents, and that learning more about them can make you care for them even more greatly.

- that watching your roommate find the boy of her dreams is one of the most exciting journeys in the world (and I have been able to watch it twice!)

- that sometimes, all you really need to do is pour yourself a glass of wine, sit on the kitchen floor, and let it all out.

- that the Berthas are with you til the end.

- that this is the year that people really start growing up and changing.

- that turning 21 is really all it is cracked up to be.

- that even when you think you've accepted a difficult something and dealt with it, the smallest little change can bring all of those emotions back to the surface.

- that each roommate can bring out a new side of you, and the four of you together are unstoppable.

- that a fried egg on top of a cheeseburger makes it that much better.

- that your best friend's brother might as well be your own brother, and having him here in Aggieland will make your senior year the best yet. (and I get three best friend bro's coming my way!)

- that boys actually can cook pretty well. And they enjoy it!

- that there exists someone out there who is your brain twin, and finding him (or her) is a wonderful way to learn more about yourself, as well as find a great friend.

- that it is more than okay not to know the answer to everything, and you don't have to pretend otherwise.

- that doing logistics for sorority recruitment is the best way to meet and grow to love more girls in your chapter.

- that listening to your iTunes library on shuffle is a form of self-flagellation and shouldn't be done on an empty stomach.

- that dressing up for an exam really can make a difference on your grade.

- and also, that dressing up for a meeting with your professor WILL make a difference on your grade.

- that traveling with your grandparents can help you learn so much, about them and about life in general.

- that a professor's slideshow being in Comic Sans is a good enough excuse to skip class.

- that my addiction to scented candles is quickly reaching that of my mother's.

- that the fact that TAMU will be in the SEC this upcoming fall is a perfect reason to get a SportsPass, even if you haven't been to an Aggie Football game since freshman year.

- that PDA belongs outside the classroom. (Actually, keep that business behind closed doors please).

- that eating tuna in class is never acceptable (I'm looking at you, Catherine).

- that it is completely possible to slip and fall on an actual banana peel left on the sidewalk.

- that the recall on Excedrin is a horrible, horrible tragedy.  For me.

- that shrimp and grits is one of the most heavenly combinations out there, following macaroni and cheese.

- that going to a wedding in which you and the bride share the same name is enough to send shivers down your spine as the vows are read.

- that opening up to someone can really make a tough problem easier to bear.

- that sometimes texting random song lyrics to your best friend is really the only way to express how you're feeling.

- that junior year is truly when you finally get your bearings.

- that forever friends can be made in college too!

- that Sita and Popster are the best around.

- that I am blessed beyond measure.