Things I Wish I Knew About College and Life

This article is adapted from a presentation I gave to the soon-to-be graduating seniors at my alma mater, St Petersburg Collegiate High School.

Admittedly, this should be called, “Advice I Wish I Listened To.”

Graduating from high school can be a polarizing time. For 18 years, your life was largely decided for you: school, schedules, plans. Then suddenly, you’re released into the world with a mix of freedom and societal pressure to immediately “make the right choice”. You’re told your future hinges on decisions made at 18, while everyone also has their own opinions on what is best based on their own choices, regrets, or the latest article they’ve read.

So before I begin, here is the most important thing I’ll say (write) today:

Every journey after high school is unique. Once you turn 18 and graduate, your life becomes yours, and only yours, to lead. Your story, whether or not it’s the blueprint you see everyone else following, is worth both living and telling.

My time at UCF brought some of the most transformative, challenging, and fun years. 

Although my hometown was only two hours away, I arrived at UCF knowing just two people. But within a week, it felt like home. (Joining a sorority helps with that.)

I’ll never forget the adrenaline rush that night, sitting on my couch, covered in glitter, watching 200 new sisters follow me on Instagram. Exhilarating.

I packed a lot into my college years… and I still have regrets. So, here’s what I wish I’d done differently, or sooner, and what I hope will help at least one person get more out of their college experience and their life.

Make the Most of Your Tuition

• Go to office hours. Even if it’s just to talk about something non-school-related that your professor mentioned in class, connect with them. You never know where that relationship could lead.

• Make study friends & use the resources professors provide. Because I was taking junior-level classes my freshman year, it was invaluable knowing older sorority sisters in my class whom I could study with.

• Take the fun classes. In my situation, I had two years of college credits when I went into my freshman year. I never once considered that I could take classes that feed my passions outside of school. You are so much more than your major.

• Join a club! Your hobbies deserve to be nurtured, too. After graduation, you'll suddenly have more free time than you’ve ever had, and you might realize you don’t even know what you enjoy doing.

• Get an internship early. Once I was working internships, the material in the classroom clicked more easily for me.

Professional Development

• Attend job fairs early, network often, and set out for a mentor.

• Track your work. 

  • Keep a portfolio of school projects, group activities, internships, and wins. Document what you did, how you did it, and the outcomes. In almost every industry, data is your friend.

    
    

Below is a handout I distributed during the talk, which details a pre, during, and post networking event checklist, and provides tips for effectively documenting your projects.

Download your checklist below ↓

Networking Event Checklist .pdf

Download PDF • 135KB

Event anxiety is real. If you struggle with RSVP-ing and no-showing, I share my tips for success here.

Taking Care of You

• Balance is everything. You can’t pour from an empty cup.

• Find your people. They are out there, I promise.

  
  

• The lows will come. But with them comes self-discovery, and the beginning of becoming who you’re meant to be.

• Use your campus resources. Free therapy, health clinics, wellness programs - use them. And keep your doctor’s appointments!

• College Life is what you make it, no matter the school, no matter the path.

What I Hope You Remember

• What you put in is what you get out. 

• Don’t stand in your own way.

• Book the workout class. Sign up for the event. Join the club. Everyone craves connection. Don’t let anxiety and fear rob you of that.

  
  

I wish I could engrave all of this into your brain. But I know everyone has to live their own experience to understand why I’m writing this, giving you advice.

So just remember:

Every emotion is temporary.

You’ll feel like you’re soaring through the clouds on Monday and crashing in the valley by Friday. Don’t hold on too tight and let those feelings pass. Reflect, learn what you can, and then let them go.

And finally, I’ll leave you with the last slide I shared with the graduating seniors at SPCHS...

If I’ve left you with questions, please reach out, I love to talk :)