Diane Harrison is a senior at IUPUI Kelley School of Business. She is a Recruiting & HR/Marketing Intern with Milliner & Associates.

Have you ever felt like life happens so fast and that you never really have time to do the things you want? Maybe you feel like life is passing you by.

Do you feel like other people get all the “lucky breaks”? If you were presented with some of the same opportunities, you could achieve some of the same successes too. Well, just stop that! Change your perspective and look around you.

What does opportunity really mean? According to the Oxford Dictionary, opportunity is defined as “a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.” Because you decided to further your education and enroll in college, this presents you with many opportunities that can help shape you as a person and your future endeavors. Did you know that as a college student, you have many resources to help guide and enhance your experiences personally and professionally? image1

Here are some tips for making the most of your college experience:

1. Get involved. There are so many different clubs with which to connect. What makes our classes and campus so great are the people around us. We are all striving to better ourselves, and we have some things in common that bring us together. However, our differences give us the opportunity to learn new thoughts, ideas and perspectives. Also, many people are coming back to college after being in the workforce for extended periods of time. These non-traditional students bring with them experience and knowledge that we can learn from. By joining a group or club and getting involved with like minded people, not only will it enhance your experience, you contribute to the cause and make a difference to the people around you.

2. Enjoy the process. You may not like the situation you are currently in. You may find that you have to take a job to make ends meet, all while maintaining your obligations to your education, family and friends. You may feel a little overwhelmed.Take a deep breath and relax. This too shall pass. And when it does, you may look back at these times as the good old days. Once you accept your situation for what it is, you will cease exerting energy and perpetuating the cycle of stress. This will free your mind of the emotional struggles and help you move on and forward with your life. We need to be adaptable so that we can think clearly and experience freedom to progress in our development. When we can enjoy the process, we have the opportunity to take an ordinary situation and make it extraordinary!

3. Have an attitude of gratitude! Dwelling on problems only tends to make things worse. Shifting our thoughts to the things we count as blessings helps to balance our thoughts and reduce some of the personal stressors around us. An attitude of gratitude can help us clear a way to see the bright side of things – opportunities around us that we may not have otherwise noticed. Shifting our attitude is a choice. It may be difficult at times, however, not impossible. By refraining from the negative thoughts and reframing our thoughts into positives can provide a more clear perspective, keep us from missing the moment, and not take things for granted. Seize this time, make the most of the present situation, and enjoy the opportunities that can be true blessings. With the right attitude, the present moment can be a gift.

Diane Harrison