As the end of my freshman year at the University of Georgia comes to a close I have finally fully understood the phrase “you can’t take life too seriously.” Throughout my high school career I would get caught up in the most minute, unimportant details of life and then get upset when things and people refused to go as planned. Annoyances such as the bus arriving one minute late and plans changing at the last second ticked me off like no other. I was that kid who got to class early and had a schedule for every hour of every day.

After being in college for a year, I have realized that there are countless ways for things to go wrong, but the only way to calm down is to change my outlook. Instead of getting annoyed when the line to the dining hall is backed up, I take that time to talk to the people in line. If I miss the bus, I shrug it off and take the opportunity to walk to class. If I don’t do well on an exam I go over what I missed, learn from my mistakes, and study harder for the next one.

Not taking life too seriously includes not taking myself too seriously. I used to be quiet and shy and always thought twice before engaging in the conversations of people I didn't know as well as classroom discussions for fear of saying something wrong and embarrassing myself. Now I get to know the people around me and offer my ideas in class. If I say something wrong or do something embarrassing I join in on the jokes and laugh it off. Just changing the way I think and feel about any given situation has made me a much happier person.

Though I work extremely hard on my English 1102 papers, my new revelation of not taking anything too seriously is somewhat apparent in my writing style. I take every opportunity to show my true feelings as an author. As you read my assignments, please keep my current philosophy in mind. Hopefully you will laugh at my sarcasm and enjoy discovering my true feelings about the aguments I create.