From One Senior to Another

College seniors offer words of wisdom to high school seniors as they pass the torch
 

Diana Davis
Major: Biology

Can you believe you are almost done with high school? These last four years were hopefully fun and packed full of memories. As sad as leaving high school is, college is an experience worth being excited for, and I am thrilled for you to start the journey! I could talk forever about what to expect and how to prepare for college, but most of that you’ll find for yourself in due time. I have decided on one specific tip that will ease your transition as well as prepare you for your entire collegiate career and far after that. 

College can be intimidating at first, but remember: you are not alone. Your entire class is fighting the same nervous feelings. Even if you are more introverted, talk to your classmates. Exchange numbers or social media accounts and try to know at least one person in all your classes.  I wish someone would’ve told me this earlier because it is so crucial. I love making group chats for each class so that when you have a question about class, studying, due dates, or even where a building is located, you have people to ask. These relationships will go beyond college. You will have connections in different fields as your peers disperse into their majors. As a bonus, after you’ve practiced this in college, networking after graduation will come second nature to you.

Cassidy Howard
Major: Communication Arts

Congratulations on stepping through your first of three times being a senior! While I can’t speak on behalf of senior citizens, I can give you a little perspective from the life of a college senior who was once in your shoes. As I was prepping to embark on my own college career four short years ago, the most consistent piece of advice I received was “get involved.” Even though I stubbornly wish I could debunk the validity of this wisdom, it has without a doubt had the biggest impact on my academic, spiritual, and social experience throughout college. My only regret is not heeding it sooner. Whether it’s a club, sport, church, or some other extracurricular organization, you seriously need to put yourself out there! Attend events on campus. Take people up on their study-in-the-library offers. Ask your RA about programs in your dorm. No matter your personality type or inhibitions, this is undoubtedly the most impactful decision you can make in college. Just be confident – you've got this!

Ethan Comer
Major: Missions & Ministry

First off, I am so proud of you for accomplishing everything you have so far throughout your high school career. As you prepare to start college, there are a couple things I would like for you to know – things I wish I knew when I was a senior in high school.

I am a campus ambassador, which means I give tours to high schoolers. Something I always try to tell the students I give tours to is that your college experience is all about the lens you’re looking through. Are you looking through a negative lens or a positive lens? I could complain that there are “not enough” washers and dryers in the dorms, or I could be grateful about the fact that there are washers and dryers in every single dorm and that we all get to do our laundry for free. (Not every school has that option.) I could complain that there are only a certain number of food options on campus, or I could be thankful for the options I have and get creative with my meals. Basically, there are good and bad things about every college. Your attitude depends on what lens you’re looking at your experience through. I try to view mine through a positive lens. This outlook helps not only with college but in all of life! It will keep you grateful for the things you have rather than focused on how things could be better. (Trust me, there are always improvements that can make certain things better, so this is a never-ending road to go down). With a negative lens, you will always be disappointed and miserable. With a positive lens, you’ll be grateful and happy. If you choose to view things through a positive lens now, it’ll make your college experience – and, really, your whole life! – way better and more fun.

Jordan Comer
Major: Biology

WOW! Isn’t it crazy to think you are almost done with high school? I hope that your last four years were truly amazing, I hope that you are leaving high school with memories you will never forget. You might be sad about leaving high school; I was the same way in the sense I thought it was the best times of my life. College is truly an amazing time to grow as a person, develop new friendship, and get out of your comfort zone. I can’t wait for you to start your journey as a college student.

The most important advice I can give is to always set high academic standards for yourself and try your best to live up those standards. Do not learn the hard way about procrastination; prioritize those academics. The best advice I can give for the rest of your college experience is to put yourself out there and go meet people, get better at time management, and join clubs and on-campus activities. The relationships you build in your college days will be friendships that will last a lifetime, even when you move on after college. I play golf for Cumberlands, and throughout my last few years I’ve developed friendships that I know will last a lifetime.  

When I was a freshman, I was so scared of what the future was going to hold, and I was scared to put myself out there. But I realized that I needed to have a positive mindset about the new transition, and once I did that my college experience quickly became the best years of my life. College is truly a mindset. It gets difficult sometimes, but always try to stay positive and keep your head up!