With graduation right around the corner, I find myself excited, a little sad, and often rather sentimental. It’s not every day you get to walk past a golden dome. But for four years (or in my case six, I’ve decided to stay and pursue an MA in English), Notre Dame students are lucky enough to do just that. Looking back, here are a few of the things I wish someone had told me.
1. Sleep is not actually optional.
For my first two years at Notre Dame I thought sleep was optional. I subscribed to the good grades, going out, sleep pick two mentality. I chose the first two, but eventually I figured out that I could have all three and it wasn’t going to require too many sacrifices. I still have time to go out and get my homework done and sleep; it’s all a matter of time management. Plus, you’ll be healthier!
2. It’s hard to motivate yourself to attend a big class that doesn’t take attendance.
I always had the best intentions when I signed up for 150 person classes, but I started to feel like as long as I went to every other class or so, it was fine. You won’t get the most out of a class this way and it’s really easy to get distracted if you bring your laptop.
3. Picking up a new language in college is very difficult.
I had the best intentions when I decided I was going to learn Italian in college, but it wasn’t my passion and I really struggled with it. I had a grad student who was teaching for the first time and that certainly didn’t help me master the language. I went back to Spanish the next semester. If you don’t love languages and come in fairly proficient in one, take it! You may be able to finish your language requirement in just one semester. If you’re up for a challange and willing to work hard, try a new one!
4. Don’t try to do all of your work all of the time.
My biggest mistake freshmen year (though I’ve struggled with it most of my college career) was trying to do everything that was assigned. Sometimes you just can’t finish everything. Learn how to prioritize and let a few things slide every now and again.
5. Try to avoid more than two writing and reading intensive courses at a time.
This is probably mostly an Arts and Letters problem, but don’t take more than two classes that require intensive reading and writing. I’ve found more than two or three makes my workload seem overwhelming. It’s best to stagger your classes with some university or college requirements.
6. Pick one or two activities you love and stick with them.
Unlike high school where you could do everything, you need to pick one or two activities that you’re passionate about. When I lived on campus, I was active in my dorm and wrote for Scholastic. I stuck with Scholastic and eventually became an editor and that has kept me plenty busy on top of school, work, and socializing.
7. Never take home your winter clothing before the end of the year.
Sometimes winter never ends in South Bend. Don’t take your winter stuff home early, you never know when you’re going to need it.
8. You will have work to do senior year.
I was under the impression that senior year was going to be one long party with minimal work and lots of going out. For people with jobs and less than a handful of requirements to fulfill (and plenty of money in the bank), this may be the case. It wasn’t for me and most of my friends. Applying for jobs and grad school takes a lot of time, so does writing a thesis, working, and taking a full course load. If you don’t have all of these things to do, senior year may be a breeze, but it isn’t for everyone and that’s perfectly okay!
9. Going out all the time is overrated.
Before you turn 21, there’s a bit of a mystique about going to bars. It seems like going to the bar is so awesome, but once you’re legal you realize a bar’s a bar. It’s convenient to be able to drink whenever you want, but going out all the time isn’t as awesome as you think it will be.
10. Living off campus is a great life decision.
While living off campus isn’t for everyone, if you’re interested in it, I highly recommend it! It’s a good transition to the real world and great if you like to cook or have friends over.
11. Don’t be afraid to change your mind about your future.
There’s a huge pressure to have everything figured out, but don’t be afraid of not knowing exactly what you want to do or changing your mind about your future. The worst thing you can do is pursue a job you don’t like. Be happy and be willing to take some time to figure out what that entails.
12. You don’t need to have two majors.
Notre Dame students have double majoritis. There’s no reason to overwhelm yourself with two majors unless you’re equally passionate about both. If you aren’t, considering minoring in one instead.
13. Once you start drinking Starbucks, you won’t stop.
I don’t drink coffee and yet thanks to the campus Starbucks, I have a Starbucks addiction. Ice nonfat chai tea latte with light ice, anyone? LaFun is where Flex Points and Domer Dollars disappear, be careful about your need for caffeine.
14. Your best friends from home will still be your best friends and everyone else from high school will just kind of fade from the picture.
The best friendships don’t take constant maintenance and honestly, you won’t have time to be checking in daily. Your real friends will still be there no matter how infrequently you talk and everyone else will just kind of become people you used to spend time with. This is totally normal and not something to fuss about.
15. Take professors not classes.
I’m still bad about following this advice, but you should take great professors, rather than classes that sound good on paper. If the professor is passionate about what their teaching, the subject matter isn’t important. Talk to friends and upperclassmen about who they’ve loved and who you should avoid.
16. Make friends across class years.
Don’t just spend time with people in your class. Making upperclassmen friends can be great for advice and having underclassmen friends keeps you in touch with dorm life. Underclassmen are also great people to come back and visit during football season.
17. Go for walks with people.
The best way to get to know someone is to walk around and talk to them. I may be biased, but walking around the lakes with other people is how I’ve made most of my best friends (and met my boyfriend). It’s not guaranteed instant friendship, but it’s a great way to learn a lot about someone.
18. Your best friends don’t have to live in your dorm, but you should be on good terms with everyone.
Don’t worry if the people in your dorm aren’t your closest friends. I happen to like having a lot of guy friends, so I spent a lot of time in men’s dorms. However, it was always really important for me to be on friendly terms with everyone. Say hello and smile in the hallway, it can make a huge difference. But don’t feel like your friend group has to be limited to the people you live with.
19. It’s okay to criticize Notre Dame.
I think there’s a tendency when you get to Notre Dame to never want to say anything bad about it. While it’s great to praise and defend your alma mater, you don’t have to love everything about it. It’s ok to disagree with Notre Dame policies or stances on different issues. Don’t be afraid to criticize Notre Dame, but be respectful of other points of view.
20. Get over FOMO.
I hate everything about FOMO from the way the acronym sounds to what it stands for. You should never have a fear of missing out, because if you are doing what you love, that’s all that matters. Don’t worry that other people are having more fun than you are or that you missed some great event. FOMO is just the latest negative form of peer pressure and there’s no reason to give into it. You aren’t going to miss out!
21. It’s okay to drop a class.
I have dropped exactly one class at Notre Dame and I definitely wish I had dropped a few more. If your gut instinct is that you don’t like a class or a professor, drop the class. Don’t think twice about it, odds are your first impression is fairly accurate.
22. At no point in time is “everyone” doing anything.
This kind of goes along with getting over FOMO. Stop telling yourself that “everyone” is going somewhere or that “everyone” is doing something. That is never the case and if you force yourself to participate in things you don’t like, you’re just going to make yourself miserable. It’s ok to stay in with a bottle of wine, a movie and some friends. You can have a blast doing anything with friends and it doesn’t have to be what “everyone” is doing.
23. Learn how to drink and not get drunk.
The secret to a great night out is getting buzzed enough to have fun, but not hammered enough that you feel hung over the next day. That being said, you don’t have to get drunk or buzzed every time you drink. It’s great to be able to go out and have a beer or two and come home sometimes.
24. Bloom where you are planted.
I’m sure someone famous said this once, but I always associate it with my mom. She painted me a picture with a flower and this saying on it my sophomore year of high school when I was hating school. It has always stuck with me. If you don’t love where you’re at you have two options: 1. you can leave or 2. you can work hard to find a way to be happy with where you are. I hate when people tell me that they don’t love Notre Dame, because I always want to ask why are you here. You should love where you go to college. And wherever you find yourself, you should find a way to put down roots and grow as a person. Sometimes you can’t love where you’re at, but there’s always an opportunity for growth and you should try your best to do so.
25. Walk past the dome as often as you can.
You may get homesick, but domesickness is also a problem. Every day you can walk pass the golden dome and take a moment to appreciate how lucky you are. You are wonderful and brilliant and lucky to be here. Everything will work out. The story of Notre Dame is one of perseverance, let them dome always remind you that you will succeed if you keep at it.