What advice would you give your college self?
Towering trees, wide expanses of lawn, near-ancient, sun-warmed stone and brick contrasting, somehow magnificently, with newer buildings (some with electric blue accents) . . .
. . . and all I needed for that memory-trigger was an email from my alma mater, Lawrence University.
“As the new academic year approaches, there is a feeling of excitement here at Lawrence as we welcome students back to campus. Do you remember the many feelings you experienced when starting a new academic year at Lawrence? Maybe you asked yourself these same questions — How will I balance school and my social life? Will I get along with my roommate? How will I know what to do after graduation?
“Help them out with some advice and support! What would you have told your college self?”
After college is important, yes, but for me, right then, all I could think of was those all-important first few months of freshman year. That mad and intoxicating jumble of moving in to your allotted square footage, meeting your roommate, your Resident Advisor, your academic advisor, getting laundry tokens, applying for a job, figuring out what’s in each building and where each building is; even if you’ve done the alumni-hosted gatherings and toured the campus several times, it’s still different once you are actually deposited with your belongings on that strange, extra-long bed.
So here’s what I sent in:
Go to all (or most) of the things.
There will be events sprouting all around you, waiting for you to pick them. Go to the ones that interest you, yes, but challenge yourself by going to the ones that don’t. You can always leave, but you can’t always get that same opportunity.
Show that you want the job you want.
If there’s an on-campus job you’ve got your eye on, don’t be shy about checking in once or twice while the job owner is making a decision. It’s more than okay to show eagerness. Just maybe refrain from camping out in front of the door.
Checking in worked for me with the library! (Literature section, I still think of you.)
Explore different parts of your personality.
This goes with #1. In high school, you may have been The Quiet One or the Nerdy One or the Sporty One. If that’s what you love and who you are, great! You’ll find your people no matter what One you are.
Yet if you want a different label or hey, no label at all, college is the perfect time to step out of your (dis)comfort zone. Be an introvert who excels at public debate. Combine your love of tech with anthropological flair. The point is, don’t let anyone, not even yourself, hold you back from where you feel you want to be.
Oh, and if anyone asks you what you can possibly do with an English major, say this: “Anything I want.”
College will be your world for a few years. Make the most of it!
What’s your advice?
