College Life Hacks for our Seniors
As we conclude this most difficult of school years, I want to acknowledge the incredible leadership of our graduates, the Class of 2021. This is not the senior year that any of us wanted for them, yet they kept finding ways to learn, lead, and love, and it’s been nothing short of inspiring. In recognition and with gratitude, I wanted to share 21 observations and thoughts (and occasionally unsolicited advice) about the college life they are going to encounter. These aren’t grand pronouncements (“Find your passion! Take risks! Fall in love! Change your major/politics/relationships!”), but rather smaller impressions and reminders from one person’s limited perspective. So, with care and admiration for our amazing graduates—and for what it’s worth—I offer the following:
If you come to class without having done the reading, and the instructor doesn’t notice that you haven’t done the reading, that class is a waste of someone’s money.
Keep brushing and flossing your teeth. This may seem obvious, but good habits ebb when you’re staying up until 2:00 in the morning.
If you leave home for school, it’s a virtual certainty that the pizza in your college town won’t be as good as it is in New York. (Yes, Chicago, I see you. Settle down.)
As at Browning, academic integrity is essential, whether your college talks about it or not. The real danger in cheating is not that you’ll be caught, but rather that you’ll never find out who you can really be.
If you go a week without putting on a pair of pants that don’t have a drawstring, it might be time for a personal reset.
Give deep respect and gratitude to everyone who works on campus or in school buildings. You are guests in their community, not the other way around.
Even at college, Mother’s Day is still the second Sunday of May. Mark your calendar now, and treat the date with the reverence it deserves.
At college, the most underappreciated skill is the ability to ask for help, be it in classes, in relationships, or in mental health. Seeking support is a show of self-understanding, not shortcoming.
Ask a friend to give you a weekly accountability check on the fragrance of your dorm room, because nose-blindness is a real thing.
Choose classes because they’re interesting, not because they’re undemanding. With finite opportunities to learn with curious, talented people, enrolling in “The Sociology of Bobsledding” for the easy A seems a mistake.
If you get homesick, you’re not the only one. And it’s completely okay to feel as you do.
Good shower shoes are really important, as bacterial apocalypse lurks in shared bathrooms.
Studies show that those who make the most out of college—who are “happy, healthy, and engaged,” to quote Mr. Pelz—are those who commit to extracurricular activities and find an adult mentor. Fortunately, you already learned this at Browning.
No one is going to monitor your nutrition, but please eat at least one vegetable a day. (Fries don’t count, sadly.)
Your parents want you to be employable, but otherwise don’t really want you to change, so they may have a vague sense of worry for four years. Be extra kind to them when you’re home.
Getting a tattoo in a friend’s dorm room is a bad idea 100% of the time.
Those who tell you that missing class is “no big deal” are mistaken. Actually going to college is the point of “going to college,” and you cheat yourself of untold moments if you don’t post for class.
Making a budget for your expenses is a good idea; sticking to it is an excellent practice. If you need more money, a part-time or campus job is a better solution than credit cards
If your college offers them, don’t skip out on guest speakers, sporting events, museum exhibitions, or concerts and recitals and plays. You’ll likely never again live in a community dedicated to bringing so much excellence to your doorstep, often for free admission.
Making good decisions with and for your body when you’re living away from home can be complicated, but it’s not less important than it is right now.
The values and qualities that made you a great Browning Panther—honesty, curiosity, dignity, purpose, compassion, courage—will make you great at college, too.
These 21 notions are hardly the alpha and omega of guidance for negotiating college life, and they may very well be forgettable. What is certainly unforgettable, however, is the quality of this class of graduates, who did so much to vest Browning with intelligence, integrity, justice, and meaning. We wish all of them bright, safe, fulfilling days ahead, and remind them that they will always be welcome behind the Red Doors.
And a happy summer to our entire community!