I sat down with a recent Florida State Alumna to get the scoop on what life after college is really like. I interviewed 21-year-old Emily Thompson, from Treasure Island, Florida, who recently graduated in Aug. 2018.
Courtesy: Emily Thompson
Q: What is your most embarrassing college story?
A: This didn’t happen at college but it happened during my college career so I think it counts. During the summer between Freshman and Sophomore year, I went to go visit my freshman roommate in Georgia. Our plan was to drive to North Carolina to go see one of our favorite bands, Rainbow Kitten Surprise. We went to Wal-Mart and got these funky tie-dye shirts that had kitten faces all across the fabric in a spiraling motion. They were perfect for the concert. So of course, we all bought them so we could be matching. We then left, and by “we” I mean my roommate, her sister and one of her friends. We were on our way to drive six hours to North Carolina. We eventually made it to North Carolina by 2 a.m. and stayed at this sketchy motel because we thought we were originally going to camp. Camping isn’t really my thing so I pleaded for anything with a real bed. The next day was the day of the concert and this is where it gets a tad embarrassing. As we were walking into the venue this man points to our group and says, “Hey, I like your shirts!” and we all just kind of smiled and said “Thanks!” It all happened kind of quickly. We felt pretty proud because little did he know that these shirts were from our local Wal-Mart. Later that evening when the band came out, we realized that the man who complimented our shirts was actually the bass guitarist for the band. I still can’t believe it to this day that we barely acknowledged one of our favorite band members.
Q: What did you major in and why?
A: I majored in Communications at first because I thought it’d be a good stepping stool for law school. I decided my true passion was in International Affairs and Political Science because I want to be an international lawyer. This ultimately impacted my decision to study Arabic for five semesters because of my interest in Middle Eastern culture and women’s rights.
Q: Are you happy with the degree you received?
A: I am so happy with the degree I received! I loved both of my majors. The only thing I would change would be jumping straight into them!
Q: What do you want to do or accomplish with your degrees?
A: I want to attend law school in the fall of 2019. I will use my degrees to foster my knowledge about international and corporate law.
Q: What is your favorite thing about FSU?
A: The friends and memories I made.
Q: Any college regrets?
A: I have two: I wish I hadn’t spent as much time going home for long distance relationships because I missed out on things I wish I hadn’t. Of course, this couldn’t have been avoided for three years, but I wish the visits could have been minimized. I also struggled with some mental health issues my first semester of my senior year and this affected my sleep schedule and my grades. I didn’t fail anything but I don’t feel like I performed to the regular standard I have always given myself.
Q: Best college moment?
A: Staying up late with half of my floor freshman year and just talking. I will always swear that the best talks happen after 2 a.m.
Q: Weirdest college moment?
A: Where do I even begin? One thing people don’t tell you is how weird college can truly be. Freshman year I lived in a dorm (Bryan Hall represent!) with two girls. One of my roommate’s had the cops called on her (because of some personal issues I won’t get into) and so at around 2:30 a.m. we had a loud banging at our door. You guessed it, it was the cops. So, while they were trying to calm down my roommate, we will call her Haley, who was having a mental breakdown, one of the cops looks at my other roommate, let’s call her Rose, and notices a broken gate behind her bed used as décor. A little side story: one night, Rose and I were just goofing around campus and broke off one of those parking gates because it was a big thing on campus (we’re good kids I promise). Anyways, we took it into our dorm room, secretly of course, and used it as a decoration, never guessing cops would be in our room. Back to the original story: So, as the cops were escorting Haley out the door, one cop turns back to talk to Rose and he says, “I’m going to have to confiscate that gate behind your bed”. Rose looked flustered but agreed to get the gate from out behind her bed. Mind you, these gates are approximately 7 feet in length and are not easy to move. It took Rose about five minutes to successfully remove the gate from behind her bed and the cop just watched her the whole time as she apologized, nervously laughed and completely struggled. She awkwardly handed the gate to the cop as he said, “If this happens again I am going to give you a misdemeanor.” and Rose just looked at me and I kind of smiled back at her because of how ridiculous the whole situation was. The cop later exits with the gate, leaving me and Rose gate-less and roommate-less. At least he left a weird memory, that’s for sure.
Q: What is it like being an Alumna?
A: Definitely bittersweet. I always knew going into college that I was going to graduate early but it was incredibly difficult leaving FSU and the home I had lived in for three years. However, I’m so proud of myself for doing it so quickly and I am excited about the future ahead that I’m creating for myself!
Q: If you were a senior in high school and were applying to colleges- would you choose FSU again?
A: 100%. I would not waste time or money applying anywhere else.
Q: What advice can you give to a freshman?
A: Savor the little moments of happiness because I feel like those are so often overlooked.
Q: What advice can you give to a senior?
A: Make every moment count and try to finish your homework as soon as it is assigned. Anything left to the last minute won’t come close to something you can put time and effort into.
Q: What is it like graduating in just 3 years instead of the average 4?
A: Stressful. I feel like I never had a semester with less than 15 credits but I also came in with a ton so that definitely helped out! However, I felt out of my element for a lot of things that I wish I’d been able to try out for or dedicate time to that I just couldn’t with my tight schedule.
Q: Is there anything in Tallahassee that you wanted to do but never got to? A: I wanted to go to Food Truck Thursday at Lake Ella and maybe the Friday Night Block Party!! It sounds stupid but just little casual things like that.
Q: Where is your favorite place in Tallahassee? A: Probably a mix between Black Dog Cafe (when I’m not working against a deadline) or Landis Green watching people play with their puppies. I also love the benches near Wescott Fountain when the sun is setting, it’s a very chill vibe.
Q: Do you ever see yourself coming back for more school? A: Definitely.
Q: Any last words regarding FSU? A: Miss you and maybe I’ll see you for law school 2019!