My undergrad experience is coming to a close this Friday and I have a mix of emotions, but mainly have become very sentimental. The past four years have been filled with an assortment of adventures.

I don’t know how to classify my state of mind right now, other than it seems like its ABOUT TIME I am graduating college but on the other hand, it seems like I have been balancing school/work/life for SO long it also feels a bit odd.

I have been super blessed to have great experiences during the past four years here are just a few of them that I would recommend to ANYONE heading to or in college:

1. DO AN INTERNSHIP
   The six months I spent in Washington D.C. created my favorite semester of my entire time in school. It challenged me in many ways in addition to giving me a better understanding of what and who I really want to be. I developed amazing relationships, had fantastic career opportunities coming out of it, and love every minute of living somewhere else completely focused on me and my goals.
2. LIVE WITH STRANGERS
   Every single year (until I got married) I lived with strangers and I learned so much because of it. It opened my eyes to so many things and let me learn perspectives from all over. If you go to college in the state you grew up in I feel like this benefits you even more. Not to mention you become this little “family” where you can talk about EVERYTHING. I don’t mean gossip either I mean really elevated talks about our beliefs, childhoods, and futures.
3. GET INVOLVED
   I loved being a director of the student government, a student leader for the Andrew Goodman Foundation, and being on UPC planning Crimson Nights (our campus parties). As well as being in the Honors Access and Leadership Cohort. Each provided me a new set of friends and made me meet new students and faculty members!
4. FIND YOUR HOME-BASE
   For me, this was The Hinkley Institute. I knew all the administrators who worked in the office, could go there to talk with them and took every single class they offered. It made me have great mentors and opportunities such as meeting Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Mitt Romney and presenting in the HIP Talks series.
5. REMEMBER EXPERIENCE >GRADES
   I remember calling my dad balling when I received my first “bad grade” I had always been raised to get a 4.0 and felt like I was failing by not continuing on that same trajection. Now, I realize there is so much more than a 4.0 GPA EXPERIENCE LIFE. Have an amazing resume when you graduate not just a good GPA. Take classes that interest you, not ones you hear are a “breeze” MISS CLASS and travel. Fall in love, move A TON (10 times in 4 years). And be grateful. Going to college is an incredible opportunity, finals suck, we all know that. But your degree is worth it, your experiences are worth it.

And as with anything… what you put in is what you will get out!

Everyone has a different path in life and continuing education can really be a remarkable thing for your future… my last plea is if you go to college try to NOT take student loans (or if you have to to take the BARE MINIMUM). They can leave you fighting with debt for years!

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