30 Things I've Learned at OU

In 30 days, four and a half years of hard work will come to fruition. I will don my cap and gown, stand in line with the six other students graduating from my degree program, and walk across stage to receive my diploma. (Oh, who I am kidding? We all know that they just give out an empty diploma holder.) I will have completed a Bachelor's of Science in Language Arts Education, graduated with special distinction, and become an alum of the University of Oklahoma (even though apparently the Alumni Association thinks I have already graduated since they keep asking for money...). I will finally be cured of senioritis. Then comes the real world.
But now's not the time for the real world. Now's the time to be nostalgic. Now's the time to reflect on my run as a Sooner. Therefore, I give you (drumroll please.................)

30 Things I've Learned at OU (in no particular order)

1) The myth about walking under the clock tower isn't a myth -- you won't get out of here in four years. Thank you, freshman Bethany. 

World, meet freshman Bethany

Ahhhh....so young, so much still to learn...

2) However, the myth that you must graduate in four years with a career lined up and a ring on your finger is, in fact, a myth. Here I am -- four and a half years, single, and two part-time jobs that will occupy my time in the spring. Am I any more or less successful than my classmate that graduated in the spring, an engineer with a high-paying job at 22, a girl who just had the wedding of her dreams, or a 26-year-old with a PH.D? No. God's plans for my life are perfect. Don't measure your success by anyone else's life. 

So exciting!

3) Working in food service is not the end of the world. Three years at a breakfast joint/coffee shop? I can now make a near-perfect omelet and a fantastic latte. You're welcome, future husband.

4) Community is incredibly important, particularly if you are away from your family. It is such an incredible blessing to be surrounded with people who love you that you can call upon at a moment's notice. Thank you to all my adopted families (Spauldings, Gilfillans, McDonalds, Kingerys, etc.) and my friends who have been my community.

Hilary, a friend who has been a wonderful addition to my community :)

5) My introverted self can be stretched. I can give a speech to my Communication class. I can play a piano final in front of my Piano class. I can video myself teaching college students (who are pretending to be 5-year-olds) to dance and sing. I can perform an hour-long Shakespeare play, complete with props, memorized lines, setting, and costumes. I came into OU as an introvert, but college has stretched that in amazing, fun ways.

Fun on campus

6) Proverbs 19:21. A verse I cling to. My plans fail and change, but God's purpose will remain.

7) Choosing to pull an all-nighter for more study time or to get some sleep? Sleep wins every time. (Never once pulled an all-nighter...) 

Life of an English major

8) Being responsible and mature is important, but it's okay to live like a college student once in a while. As much as I hate to say this, you only live once...

Here I am, only living once. :)

9) You have to look for leadership; it doesn't find you. Submit to leadership, be trained, and look for ways for God to use you and put you in leadership roles. Be a leader where you are...whether in a project group at class or at a part-time job. 

2010-2011 MT girls

10) Dorm life is grand...if you live on an upperclass floor with your own room and only 3 other residents (junior year for the win).

11) But seriously...living in the dorms (or in any kind of community) is a huge way to reach out to other people and to serve. My advice to those still in dorm life or getting ready to go to college? Don't waste that time. Sure, the walls are paper thin, someone will throw up in your sink (true story), you will accidentally flush a sock down the toilet and clog it (yes, this happened to me), and you will hear girls screaming "Girl, I will CUT you!" at 3 AM. But you will also be there the day your suitemate has a fight with her parents, the day your hallmate gets engaged, and the day someone gets a study session turned pizza party together in the lounge. You live life with other people. Dorm life prepared me for life in the "real world".

Bradlee, Abby, and Molly - beautiful ladies that I met in the dorms!

12) Ben Rector makes any day better. (Seriously, go play one of his albums...how can that voice NOT make you happy?)

13) God will put you where He wants you. I church-hopped for a year, then spent a year not ever connecting at another church. Out of the blue, I get a random email from some pastor guy named Andy inviting me to Redeemer...and 15 months later, I had a job there (and a year later, that job expands). :) That's God, folks; be ready to move when he opens a door.

Redeemer Church in Haiti (2012)

14) Friends come and go. This is one of the harder things to learn. Some people may be in your life for years; others for only a short while. Cherish the time you have with them, and keep in touch. With Facebook, Twitter, texting, cell phones, iPads, Skype, Facetime, snail mail, fax machines, Morse code, flare guns, etc....you don't really have an excuse.

Erin, one of those friends that I dearly miss!

15) Once you go Mac, you never go back. #appleforlife

16) Live in the moment. Sure, your Peoples of the Pacific Islands class may be boring as heck that day, but be there. Don't wish time away, because you don't get much of it. And don't live in the past. You can't change anything, so don't dwell on it. Reflect, learn, and move on. Be where God has put you in the here and now. 

Just a fun look back at myself & my sister!

17) Travel when you can. College is such a great opportunity to go and do. How many other times in life do you get Christmas and summer breaks? In my 4-ish years, I have been to the UK, Cambodia (twice), Haiti, San Diego, LA (Hello, Disneyland!), Colorado (3 times), New Mexico, Florida, and other not-as-cool places. I got to experience life outside of the Oklahoma state line. I was able to immerse myself in cultures incredibly different from my own. I learned how to react and adapt. I learned that the world was about more than my own little life. And I learned that God is God all over the world. (And chances are, you'll get to travel with other people...and you just might become dear friends with some. Yes, Anna & Krystyn, that's you.)

Beautiful beach, beautiful team. Cambodia 2011-2012

Love my Cambodian friends!

18) Having roommates is hard. Someone won't do the dishes & you'll forget to take out the trash. Boyfriends come over and complicate things. Your roommate will tape all your shoes to the ceiling (okay, that was funny...). You don't always get your way...and you have to learn to deal with that. Again, through my roommates, I've seen that life isn't about me.

I wasn't kidding about the shoes on the ceiling.

19) Having roommates is a blast! Karaoke/Just Dance sessions, ice cream runs, movie nights, roommate dates, long talks -- these are things that I will always remember. My roommates have seen me through the good and the bad...and they haven't run away! Shout out to my roommates -- Iris, Lauren, Brittney, Kim, Kayse, & Taylor!

Roommate date/birthday dinner in Bricktown!

Lauren & I, freshman year...we were so young!

20) Finding a good coffee shop is key.

21) Things won't always be smooth sailing. You will go through times that are just flat-out rough. I've been through many different seasons in my time at OU, and I've had to learn that it's okay to not always have it all together or feel like being happy-go-lucky. It's okay to be hurt when you're hurt. A quote from one of my favorite books says, "That's the thing about pain...it demands to be felt." I think there is so much truth to that quote...you can't ignore when you are in a rough patch. But the beautiful thing? God has been faithful to bring me out of each and every one and to show me more and more of Himself each time.

Time in the Word

22) If it's 2008 and OU is going to play Texas Tech in football that weekend, DO NOT sell your ticket and go home! You will regret it.

Boomer Sooner

23) Don't try to do things alone. This one is hard to get into my head. If you're struggling in a class, go to tutoring. If you don't understand how to do something at work, ask. If you are dealing with a personal problem, find a trustworthy source to point you to the gospel. We aren't made to be on our own.

24) If you're on the hunt for a man, don't become an English Education major. Seriously...the ratio of girls to guys is about 35:1. Not great odds. :)

Rainy day on campus

25) On the topic of guys...I've learned that it's okay to be single in college. It's also okay to be in a relationship in college. It's okay to get married in college. It's okay to break up in college. There is no one right path when it comes to relationships. In each point on your path, look to Jesus for guidance & wisdom, and remember that He is the true bridegroom. Authentic contentment and satisfaction come only from Him, no matter what relationship stage you are in. (And ladies, if it seems like all your friends are engaged/married...they're not. There are plenty of us who are living life and seeking Jesus on our own.)

26) Don't be afraid to try something new. You could miss out on something great if you live your life in fear. Be bold and step out in faith. Even if you sink, Jesus will pull you back up. And look for Jesus in the unexpected. When I got my job at the Huff, I took it because it was a job. I wasn't expecting anything else. But God provided amazing opportunities and great friends, and I had one of the best years of my life at the Huff. So watch for Jesus in new situations. (Shout out to my Huff group...#hufflife forever.)

Huff group at Pops

27) Finding someone who can walk with you through the day-in-day-out trials of life is so important. I am thankful for a church and college ministry that have taught me about discipleship and what it means to share your life and bear one another's burdens. To those who have walked with me (Abi, Kaydee, Taryn, Michelle...), thank you for being my Paul. I hope I was a faithful Timothy. :)

Abi. What a wonderful lady she is. Grateful for her example and friendship.

Kaydee and Krystyn. So grateful for all the kicks and giggles in our friendship. These girls will do big things.

So glad that I've gotten to share life with the one and only Taryn (and friend Caylee!)

28) I have learned that my family is always there for me. No matter how far apart we are, my family has always loved and supported me. I am blessed to have a support system in Norman, but my family is my rock. Thank you to my dad, mom, Kelsey, & Lexey. I will always be a daddy's girl, and my mom has been my biggest fan. Not many people get to say that their sisters are their best friends --- but I do. Love you all.

Precious family

Sisters and Best Friends

29) Crimson will always trump orange.

Beautiful Campus

30) The gospel is true -- it has always been and will always be. Jesus gave me grace -- not because I deserved it, not because I earned it, but because He is ultimate good and eternal love. When I'm in the dumps, He's God and He saves me. When I'm on the mountaintop, He's God and He saves me. His grace is sufficient for me and He has a plan for my life. So thankful that His plan included being a Sooner for 4.5 years. :)
(Who am I kidding...I will always be a Sooner.)