I made it to my final semester of college and I am ready to EMBRACE IT. To help me get started, and to help other seniors who might be experiencing the same mix of excitement and uncertainty as me, I decided to consult those who are older and wiser. I am very thankful for the recent graduates who contributed their advice. Each one has set off on a unique path, but each shares the trait of inspiring an undergrad like me. I look at these adults and am gratefully reassured that while post-grad will not be easy, it will be an adventure to which I should look forward. In addition, they suggest that this last semester, and all of these four college years, are gifts, and I will definitely commit to taking advantage of this semester, my final Boston blessing.
And so, without further ado, a collection of advice from recent Boston University graduates:
“Take advantage of all the resources you won’t have once you leave school. If you have a movie idea, you can get fancy cameras for free! Make it! And never get complacent! Stay focused on what you want after college and tackle it when you have free time.”
– David, COM 2015
“Be open to any career opportunity right out of the gate. Your first post-grad job won’t define you, and frankly, you don’t get to be picky just yet.”
– Kyle, COM 2016
“Go out and do the things you want to with the people you want to do them with before time/distance gets in the way. You’ll probably never be this close to so many of your friends again. Make it count.”
– Matt, ENG 2016
“1. Go to senior week events even if you think they’re lame. It’s your only chance to go to senior week events.
2. Don’t believe what people post on Facebook. Everyone’s lives will appear to be perfect this summer and that is a lie.
3. You. Will. Get. A. Job. (Let’s say that again for the people in the back). YOU WILL! Maybe it will take some time. Maybe it won’t be your first choice. Maybe you will hate it and only be there for a year. But you will get hired.
4. There is no shame in living with your parents post-grad and it is an INCREDIBLE way to save money if it’s an option for you.
5. Keep in touch with the people that matter. De-friend the people who caused drama in your life. Accept that if you stop being friends with someone, it doesn’t make your college relationship with them any less genuine.
6. You can change your mind. This is very important. Just because you majored in X doesn’t mean you have to do X for the rest of your life.”
– Rachel, SED & CAS 2016
“Have a plan but be flexible. Know what you want to do when you leave, but at the same time let things happen as they happen.”
– Corey, COM 2016
“Make two lists. Make a list of all the things you told yourself you were going to do when you decided to go to school in Boston. Check off the stuff you did. Do the rest. Make a list of all the people you want to take with you into the next stage of your life (include friends, professors, people who aren’t at BU anymore). Carve out time to spend with them. Make sure they know they are important to you now so it’s easy to keep in touch later.
Also, look both ways before crossing the street. Twice.”
– Brittany, Sargent 2016
“Don’t worry if you don’t have a cushy job offer by May. You are smart, talented, and extremely capable. It just means the right job wants you to enjoy a little bit of your summer before you start being an “adult”. Embrace that freedom. I worked as a temp until landing a great job in September, and it allowed me to work flexible hours, volunteer, and visit new places I had never been before. My summer wasn’t focused on working crazy hours or dealing with a long commute, but learning more about what is important to me in a job position and what I want to really do with my life.”
– Maddie, COM 2016
“Use your BU ID for discounts as much as possible and try to start shifting important emails off of your BU address. Next, utilize BU resources because paying for the Adobe Photoshop Cloud is a really expensive joke. Finally, take advantage of Boston and all it offers. It’s so different from any other city (for better and for worse). The only-in-Boston Snapchat always offers really cool stuff to do, and so does Thrillist. Try to get out of the BUbble (see what I did there?).”
– Jose, Sargent 2016
“My advice for your last semester would be don’t stress about landing a job before graduating. Relax and have fun, because you literally have the rest of your life to stress about your professional career. My advice for after you graduate would just be to network, as cliché as it sounds. I spent three months working some side jobs and just talking to and meeting with people, and for a while I wasn’t sure where it was leading. Then I met the right person and got a job in the industry. I think that sometimes when you don’t jump into a job right away and just give yourself some time, things happen organically. It’s just scarier and more uncertain. #characterbuildingamirite?!”
– Becky, COM 2016
“While I’m all for bucket lists, don’t get too wrapped up in trying to complete a list of activities you want to squeeze in before graduation. Of course you should go to all the places you never went or do the things you always wanted to do while in college, but don’t forget to spend time doing the things that made your college experience special.”
– Amir, CAS 2016
“Acknowledge that even when everything in your life has changed, you are still yourself. And if you know nothing else, you know yourself.”
– Rachel, COM 2016
“Don’t pigeonhole yourself and think that you exclusively need to find a job that is within the confines of your major. Don’t think that your major has been the only thing that prepared you for a career. Anything and everything you’ve done for extra-curriculars can shape your career too, and those things will be taken seriously if you frame them seriously on your resume. Next, it’s very difficult to truly listen to what other people have to say until you’ve experienced it yourself. There is only so much advice you can take before you become anxiety-ridden, so deal with the advice you have now, but enjoy where you are and face post-grad when you get there. Post-grad life doesn’t suck. Promise.”
– Lee, COM 2016
“Don’t stress about this last semester. If you are doing what makes you happy then that is all you can ask for.”
– Elliott, COM 2016
“I wish I knew that graduation was actually the beginning of something, not the end. Cherish your last semester and reflect positively on your college experience, but know that the real adventure is just beginning. It will be impossible to predict what the next five years will hold, but always be positive, forward thinking and hardworking and you can’t go wrong!
Also, embrace Cranberry Farms while you can.”
– Tom, COM 2014
