This is the last post in the series, Reflections of a College Valedictorian. If you’d like to go back and read the other posts in this series, click the links below.

1. Saying Goodbye Means Saying Hello
2. High School Popularity is All But Forgotten
3. Growth is Greater Than Grades

Today we will be discussing the importance of not just learning, but applying what you learn.

This post originally appeared on Anna’s 1st blog, Annamotion.

As I came to the end of my senior year in college, 1 of my biggest fears came from wondering if I had spent too much time learning and not enough time living, too much time training in how to help people and not enough time helping people, too much time writing essays on application and not enough time applying. What’s the point of learning a lesson and not applying it? Sure, my hard work in academics had earned me the title of Valedictorian, but was it worth it?

But then…

My classmates voted me Student of the Year!

I cannot express how grateful I am and how much that meant to me!!! My fears of not doing enough good for others melted away as I had this “proof” of having a positive impact in many lives.

However, despite this impact I had, I still am not living up to my full potential if I’m not continuing to reflect on what I’ve learned and apply it to my life. That’s why I went to school!–To grow myself and learn how to do stuff! It doesn’t help the world by leaving it in my noggin!

This brings to mind James 1:22-25 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”

So how do we live what we learn?

Take notes

Whether it be in a class, at a conference, while reading a book, or from a good conversation with someone–as soon as you can, write it down! Hit key points or be detailed if you’re afraid you’ll forget.

Reflect or journal

Look at your notes and chew on what you’ve learned. Think about what this means to you. What are the implications of this lesson? Now how can you apply it to your life?

Live it!

Don’t just leave the lessons and applications on the page–live it! You’ve learned, you’ve reflected, and now it is time to APPLY!

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What’s 1 lesson you recently learned that you need to go back to reflect on and apply?