Dear freshmen,
Forget those high school days.
They were lame anyway. One of the beauties of entering college is the fresh new start you’re given the opportunity to experience. Whether you were the Aaron Samuels of your class, or the girl who made out with a hot dog (to her defense, it was one time), who you were then does not determine who you will become in college. It is who you aspire to be, the goals you reach, and the challenges you overcome that will make your college days one for the books.
Never lose sight of why you enrolled.
As much as we hate when our parents lecture us about our future, we have to admit they’re right. It really is up to us to become who we want to be. Whether you’re majoring in fashion merchandising, business, or engineering, no successful path is easy. It is the endless cups of coffee, the two drops of Visine every night, and the determination to pass that calculus test that helps us realize the path to success is one hell of a rocky road. Like I said, it’s best you hear this from me: you will fail a test. Matter of fact, you will fail multiple tests because it gets that difficult. Instead of crying over spilled milk, use that 55 percent test score to be your motivation. Be proud of that 55 percent and frame it if you have to because it will be what helps you get that 100 on the next test. What is success without failure? Do not be afraid to make your mistakes. It is the lesson learned that shines through.
Get an internship.
This will not only open the door to many potential employees post-graduation, but it will also make you the cool guy of your department. Obtaining an internship over the summer puts you two steps ahead of everyone else and one step closer to your dream job. Internships are a serious thing, and I recommend you get one as early as possible. Heck, get two if you’re just that fabulous.
Be well rounded.
Building your resume is one of the most crucial and exciting things that you will ever accomplish in college. Your resume is your unique and professional way of bragging about your awesomeness, but in order to make yourself as bomb as the Harvard kids, you have to be well-rounded. Have a competitive GPA, join a sorority/fraternity, and other organizations on campus, hold an executive position in those organizations (employers love leaders), and volunteer in your community. By the end of your senior year, you’ll be shocked at how much you’ve accomplished, and every single bullet point will be so worth it.
Have fun.
Let me really stress that. Have fun. The worst thing about college is reaching your senior year, and realizing that you let four years go by without ever having to wash beer out of your hair. Now I’m not saying get super wasted and end up in Timbuktu, but know how it feels to turn up after a long week of tests. (As long as you're 21, of course.) Walk the streets of 6th in Austin and jam to the artists at SXSW. These are memories that will last a lifetime, and what better place to make them than in college? Cheers to the freaking weekend.
Walk across that stage and never look back.
Your college journey has reached its last chapter. Here’s to writing one hell of a book. Now go kick a** in the real world, and thank God you didn't gain weight.
You're welcome,
Odera
