The summer before I started college I was bombarded with advice: my grandmother shared stories, the cashier at the grocery store offered well-meant warnings and my parents attempted to shape my expectations. The most common words I heard were, “You just watch, college is going to fly by.” Like countless people before me, I look at my undergraduate college career dwindling away before my eyes and cannot quite get a grip on it.
On the one hand, of course I am elated to finally walk across the stage. Four years of labor over a sundry of subjects are finally coming to an end and I can see freedom looming on the horizon. I ache to put all of the knowledge I have gathered to use in my career and find a way to prove myself among those who are already working.
On the other hand, I am saying goodbye to a family, a safety net, a campus and a community that I have grown to love and appreciate deeply. I will no longer have the Caf food to complain about, the incoming freshmen to educate or live in an apartment complex full of my peers.
Unlike most seniors, I took a step away from the college lifestyle when I accepted, and began, my first full-time job prior to completing my undergraduate degree. In January, I began the transition from full-time college student to full-time foundation specialist.
At the moment, I am stuck in an interesting limbo between the two worlds – a foot on each side of the fence. By standing here, not fully on either side, I have had the chance to reflect on everything I love about college life while experiencing the things I already adore about my growing career.
My four years at Oklahoma Christian will be something I treasure for the rest of my life. It hasn’t always been perfect, but that’s OK. The people I’ve done life with, the experiences I’ve gained, the education I have obtained and the connections I move forward with are the things that I will carry with me.
I don’t know that I am the best person to shower underclassmen with advice, but from one student to another, here are my tips for making the best of your incredibly short four years.
Don’t take yourself too seriously; invest in the people around you and don’t be afraid to reach out to strangers. Find a mentor, or two, and spend time learning from them in every capacity that you can. Get into the community and be involved; expand your human interactions to include people older than 20. Appreciate your surroundings and take advantage of every opportunity you’re presented with. Work hard for the education you are investing so much in, but understand that a grade does not seal your fate. Soak up every single moment because it truly will be over before you know it.
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