30 Things I’ve Learned Since College

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I opened an email from The Iowa State Foundation and read, “Congratulations! You graduated from college 10 years ago!” I choked on my lemon infused water.

When I was in college, I… met my husband. Fulfilled many of my athletic dreams. Worked my tail off (and perfected procrastination). Had purple hair and a pierced nose. Opened a Facebook account my senior year. Hit the 3 button twice just to text an E on my cell phone. Watched the finale of Friends with my dorm floor. VCR recorded American Idol. Was a freshman when September 11th happened. First got to vote. Grew closer to Jesus…. A lot happened in college. It feels like yesterday.

Yet, it doesn’t. I learned a lot in college. A lot I’ve since forgotten. I am grateful for college, for Iowa State. However, there are so many things college itself did not teach me. There are so many lessons I have learned in my decade post graduation.

30 Things I've Learned Since College | Des Moines Moms Blog

Here are 30 things I have learned in my 10 years since graduating college:

  1. You never really grow up. Dreams change. Goals grow. Life happens.
  2. The Bachelor is still great TV. It’s just more fun to watch with your roommates.
  3. Reading Go Dogs Go! trumps the dishes. Every time.
  4. Degrees I have earned as a mom include, but are not limited to, Laundry Management, Food Prep for the Severely Picky Child, Prepubescent Counseling, Minivan Navigation, Royal Princess History, Hot Wheels Classification, and Bodily Fluid Sanitation.
  5. Staying up past 10 o’clock is challenging.
  6. Parenting after 8 p.m. is impossible.
  7. The important things in life you cannot buy.
  8. It is harder to sign up for a library card than it is to open a credit card.
  9. Great men are hard to find. Once you have one, hold on tight.30 Things I've Learned Since College | Des Moines Moms Blog
  10. Happiness is a choice.
  11. I had a better wardrobe when I had roommates.
  12. Be 21 when you’re 21, not when you’re 31… 41….
  13. Managing, collaborating, and tolerating people with different personalities, abilities, values, and work habits is a daily exercise.
  14. The above takes practice, patience, and skill.
  15. You are not defined by a job, a salary, or a relationship.
  16. It will never again be acceptable for me to cut up my T-shirts, bare my midriff, and dance like a lunatic on the Jack Trice jumbo tron. 30 Things I've Learned Since College | Des Moines Moms Blog
  17. Debatable if number 16 were ever truly acceptable.
  18. Life can change in a heartbeat.
  19. Parenting is simply trial by fire.
  20. A true friend is one you can go months without talking to and pick up right where you left off.
  21. Cable companies cannot be trusted.
  22. Whenever you need a doctor, pray for a great nurse. They make all the difference.
  23. Everyone needs a village.
  24. A lot can change in 10 years.

    30 Things I've Learned Since College | Des Moines Moms Blog
    My college roommate, Anna, and I decorating our bunk beds, then. With our combined 7 children, now.
  25. Some things stay the same.
  26. A simple, small act of kindness goes a long way.
  27. Nothing prepares you for 3 a.m. wake-up calls. Nothing.
  28. Teamwork makes the dream work.
  29. Real life is expensive and complicated.
  30. College was easy! Oh, so easy.

I can’t imagine what I’ll reflect on when that email tells me it’s been 20 years…. I guess number 31: Time really does fly!

What have you learned since graduating college? I’d love to know what you would add to this list.

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