{on move-in day freshman year}

I graduate from college this weekend.  I will never sit in a classroom again, pretending to be interested in marine science or supply and demand curves.  I will never stay up until 2 am cramming for an accounting exam or attempting to learn how to speak French.  I will never have to write a research paper again or fill in a scantron or make flashcards or buy a #2 pencil or read a textbook.  

          

                              {studying while on vacation sophomore year}

I also will never be able to stay up all night with my roommates watching Friends and drinking wine.  I will never be able to skip class to go lay by the pool or take a nap in the middle of the day.  I will never be able to sit in a classroom learning from a brilliant professor.  I will never be able to call my parents up and ask for more money or gorge myself on the delicious food at the dining hall.  And I will never be able to sit in the student section at Sanford Stadium.

         

                      {At the UGA v AU game last year… who won that one again?}

I could not be more ready to move onto the next phase of my life, while also feeling extreme nostalgia for the past four years.  I’m going to miss Athens.  I’m going to miss my college friends.  And I’m even going to miss going to school.   I will never be a student again.  

       

                                                        {Spring Break}

But if I were to be a student again, this is what I’d do differently:

  1. I would minor in something I’m interested in.  Fashion, food, music, finance… whatever.  Pick anything that makes you happy and take classes related to it.  I was a journalism major, but I wish I had minored in something like food and nutrition to develop an expertise.  
  2. I would take more classes that teach you life skills.  Personal finance, investing, cooking, career planning, etc.  
  3. I would be more involved early on.  I didn’t start joining extracurricular clubs until the end of my sophomore year.  Big mistake.  Getting involved is such a great way to meet people, network, explore an interest/hobby, gain leadership experience and figure out what you want to do with your life.  I wish I had done that sooner.
  4. I would branch out sooner.  Unfortunately, my first years of college were very similar to high school (just without parents).  It took me a while to meet new people, but once I did my life became infinitely better.  Branching out is SO important.  Don’t make college just an extension of high school.  You’ll miss out on so much.
  5. I would take more advantage of being in college.  Now that I’m graduating, I can’t help but think of all of the opportunities I missed.  I wish I had gone to more concerts, parties, football games (and other sporting events), restaurants, shows.  You name it.  I wish I had done more of it.  

         

                                            {my amazing roommates}

    And of course, there are a few things I did right that I would highly recommend:

    1. Study Abroad.  This was the single best decision I ever made in my life.  
    2. Intern.  Every potential employer I’ve ever talked to has asked me about internships.  I’m happy to say (despite what my bank account says) that I had 5 internships in college and it’s totally paid off.
    3. Apply what you learn in the classroom.  Use classwork for the real world.  Any time I had to write an article for class, I pitched it to a real publication.  This helped me get clips, experience and sometimes even a little cash.  
    4. Live within your means.  It can be tempting with all of the credit card offers arriving in the mail to rack up debt while in school, but resist the temptation!  Don’t spend more than you have, start saving early, learn how to invest.  Being financially-savvy is one of the best skills you can graduate with.  
    5. Create traditions.  My family is big on traditions.  We got to the beach every year with the same group of people.  We celebrate Christmas at our Swedish friends’ house every year.  We visit my grandparents in Cape Cod every summer.  But my favorite tradition of all was my Christmas Party.  Every year, for the last 15 years, I invited all of my girlfriends over for a fancy dinner complete with a gift game, delicious food and my dad decked out in a tux, serving us dinner.  It was my favorite part of the year and it was such a great way to celebrate the holidays and friendships with the people you care about.  Start a tradition with your friends and make it an annual thing.  You won’t regret it!

            

                                                           {the early years}

                 

                                                                  {the last year}

    So, there you have it.  It’s the beginning of a new era.  Wish me luck!