Last week, I was invited to dinner with the president and board of trustees at Adrian College, along with other students from the honors program. It was an incredible experience. I went in nervous and not knowing what to expect. I left with no regrets. I learned a lot from the solid advice and truths one of the trustees told me and two peers. Here is a brief overview of what I learned:
Don’t listen to your parents.
Of course there are some things you should probably take their advice on. However, when it comes to traveling, don't. There is so much to see. Explore the world while you are young. You don’t need to know where you want to settle down until you’re old.
It doesn’t get better. You just get better at dealing with it.
It turns out that the feeling of being in a deep end doesn't go away, which brings us to the next piece of advice:
Fake it.
It's okay if you don't feel like an adult yet. We've all heard the saying, "fake it 'til you make it." Well, it turns out that, "even once you make it, you'll still fake it." No one really makes it. Life is a continuous learning experience. Even the people you think should have everything figured out by now don't.
You’ll be OK.
During dinner, the president mentioned that 80% of life's most defining decisions are made by age 35. It's okay to feel overwhelmed during the college years, but it is important to remember to have fun too. As one of the trustees noted, "two years from now, no one is going to ask you about your GPA." Now, that doesn't mean you shouldn't try your best in school. However, if you don't get the grades you want, it'll be okay. It is not the end of the world. You can still get to where you want to be and be successful.
Be passionate (and show it).
Employers want someone who is interesting. Someone that will add to the work environment. You can have all of the required skills, but not get hired simply because of a lack of enthusiasm, which brings me to the last lesson:
Know what you like, and know what you are good at.
Don't settle for a job you don't like, even if the pay is good. You have to know what makes you happy and pursue it.
