This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at GCSU chapter.
GCSU has been my home since January 2013 when I transferred here. I have been fortunate enough to meet lots of interesting people and be a part of a lot of great things. On December 13, 2014 I will graduate from Georgia College with a degree in history, but I will take away so much more than that from my time here. As an early graduate you cannot help but feel that maybe you’re missing out on something, but at the same time you’re excited to finish your degree. Graduation looms in the very near future and with the end of this chapter of my life I offer some final words of advice for all of you undergrads.
1. Get out of your comfort zone. Join a club or go to events–you never know who you might meet or what friendships you could make!
2. Find your passion. Maybe it’s your major but maybe it’s not. I have been lucky enough to find my passion within my major, history, and plan to continue my education at the graduate level. Maybe you enjoy writing poetry, painting, running, golfing, or crafting. Find something that makes you happy and do it!
3. Not all relationships are meant to last. Yes, maybe you do think he’s perfect for you, but maybe he’s not. You don’t have to be in a relationship to find your niche. Whether you’re heartbroken or the heartbreaker you’ll find the right one someday. Be patient! You have plenty of time to find that sought after “one”. The same goes for friendships, because, let’s face it, sometimes they go sour. Even though relationships and friendships don’t always end on a good note, don’t forget the good times and treasure them as a part of your college experience. Furthermore, let go of grudges–they’ll get you nowhere and forgivness is better than anger at any rate.
4. Find lasting friendships. These could be forged with your sorority sisters or your group from English 1101–who knows! You’ll have a lot of free time in college and its best spent with friends. Be there for your random roommate when she goes through a breakup, for your classmate when she is stressing over an exam–the more effort you put in, the more you are likely to receive. You may meet the girls you want as bridesmaids while you’re at GCSU!
5. Take lots of pictures, even if you don’t like your picture taken. It’s a great, easy way to capture the moment and it’ll last and last. You may move on to different cities but you’ll still have that picture of you and your friend at a themed event you went to your junior year. You’ll appreciate these pictures when you reminisce on your college days!
6. Don’t procrastinate (all the time). It’s very easy to do and it’s very tempting, but it’s probably not the best option. Try to do work in advance. It’s in the syllabus, you know.
7. Don’t be over eager to be out of college. Once this time is gone, it’s gone forever. Enjoy it while you can. Take your time and enjoy those around you!
8. Don’t take your final semester for granted. Soon you won’t be able to go to your best friend’s apartment at 1 am “just because” or make Waffle House runs in the middle of the night. Make memories that will make you smile, laugh, make you wonder what you were thinking and why did your friends let you do that! Don’t spend so much time hitting the books that you miss out on other things. Graduation will come, but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the fun side of college.
All in all, college is a great experience and I am so happy that I picked GCSU! The friendships I have I hope to keep forever. I wouldn’t trade my time here for anything. Graduating earlier is bittersweet, but I’ll be coming back to visit! Once a Bobcat, always a Bobcat.
Thanks for the memories, Georgia College
Xoxo,
Kelli