Amanda was a very involved student at UNH. She graduated with the class of 2016 and most importantly she formerly was a Campus Correspondent and President of Her Campus UNH. Amanda and Annmarie have been great mentors in helping Lydia and I run HC UNH smoothly. Read on to learn more about her post-undergraduate life and her roles and responsibilities at Her Campus Media.
How is post-undergrad life?
“Post-undergrad life is such an adjustment – but it’s going well all things considered. My life now is pretty different than it was at UNH. I have been making time for things I did not prioritize in college simply because I didn’t have the time (at school, I would much rather make time for Scorps or Libby’s then most other things). I am going to bed significantly earlier and my interests are shifting for sure. I still find myself going through Facebook and looking at my UNH photos and missing it a lot, but I really feel like the first 6 months or so post-grad, I noticed a big change in myself and the things I now find important, which I wasn’t totally expecting. Overall – it’s awesome, just very different!”
What is your role at HC Nationals?
“I am an Associate for the Integrated Marketing team at Her Campus Media! My role in a nutshell is basically executing all the brands we work with on a digital side. This means, working with influencers from our InfluenceHer Collective, working with our many amazing chapters, and also working with different packages we have for the site. It is a lot of time management and multi-tasking but I have already learned a lot and grown in ways I was not expecting.”
What is your favorite part of your job?
“Not to be cheesy but, the people for sure. What I do can be really hectic, we have a lot to get done in a day, but the people I sit alongside with really make it fun. Whether it is bouncing ideas off one another or going to grab a cup of coffee, we always manage to have fun. I work with a group of young, intelligent women (and one man!) who challenge me and teach me a lot of new things every single day and also make me laugh. That’s a win. I feel like a lot of peoples first jobs don’t have that, and it’s a really special aspect of my job. “
What are some things you miss most about UNH?
“Some of the things I miss most about UNH are the student organizations I was involved in. When you leave college, you still can keep a piece of yourself by staying close with your friends that you made there and also taking what you learned and applying it to the real world. But, the student orgs – you really can’t find that anywhere else. I was constantly running around at school from class to meeting and back again and I rarely had a moment for myself but I loved every single second of it. The stress, the laughs, and the personal growth were worth the hectic lifestyle I had at UNH. I met some of the very best people in my life through those organizations and they all taught me exactly what I needed to learn at the time.”
What advice do you have for people who are graduating and starting to apply for jobs?
“My advice is literally do whatever you want. I mean that. You do not need to have a job come graduation, I didn’t! You also totally can if that’s more your speed. You don’t have to work in what you studied, but you also can if you’d like. If you want to pack up, move abroad and travel, do it. Unless you want to hear what other people have to say about your future – don’t ask them. People are going to tell you 1 million things that you should or shouldn’t do. I was really, really happy I took my time and gave myself a break in between graduating and working. It gave me time to figure out what I was doing / where I want to be / and honestly what had just happened. That said – if you had asked me beginning of my senior year I wanted to have a job and a 5 year plan come January of that year. That totally did not happen. This is the first time you are not obligated to do anything – take advantage of that in whatever way you see fit for yourself. Granted, some people are not going to have the luxury of just chilling for a little bit after graduating but you’ll figure it out. Don’t stress! Life happens how it is supposed to and as long as you are true to yourself it’s going to work out well. Sorry for the ~sappy~ response. “
If you could describe HC Nationals in three words what would it be?
“Small but mighty. “
Now the ultimate question: Is a college or post-college life better and why?
“Such a tricky question. I think it would be kind of sad if someone answered college life (no offense to anyone who would LOL). If you ask me, life should constantly be getting better. Of course there are going to be days that suck and you will think to yourself “I just want to be back in college” but most of your days should make you grateful for your past, because your present day is that awesome. If your life isn’t like that – change it as fast as you can. There are always going to be outlying situations that you cannot control, but try your best to channel any negativity into something positive. When I was in college I would constantly refer it to the best 4 years of my life. It was some of the best years so far, for sure and everyday I am so, so, so thankful for UNH. My time there set me up for the best possible life for me. To answer your question: life just keeps getting better! “