Post-college advice to the undergraduate

Okay, I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and there are a few things that I’d like to tell all you college students out there. Things that I wish people had told me when I was in college and why they were important.

1. The undergraduate major that you pick is nominal. Unless you want to become a doctor, engineer, or work in any other field in which the skill set is highly-specialized, it really boils down to the experiences that you have- the academic experiences, your extracurricular activities, jobs, or internships. When you’re in a job interview, you’re less likely to be quizzed on what you learned in school; rather, you’re marketing your ensemble of skills, showing what you can offer that company, and perhaps being presented with a case study to quiz you on work that you would do if hired.

So study what you love. Or study what you think will get you an easy 4.0. Whatever. I challenged myself while in college, taking multiple languages and rigorous economic courses for a demanding (& very fulfilling!) major before I realized I could have just as well done an easy major, effortlessly scored a higher GPA, and had more time to do paid work and intern.* Which brings me to point 2.

(Re)inception

We’re going to ignore the fact that I haven’t written in over 6 months, and I’m going to just jump right in here. I’m on summer holiday, and I’ve finally graduated from university! It’s such a relief. My diploma is framed downstairs above the piano, my cap and gown is in my closet, and my future is patiently waiting ahead of me. I’m going to teach abroad for a year, and then I plan to do research. I’m applying for the Fulbright, an ambitious goal, but it’s the only grant that I’m aware of that will let me study the material that I wrote my senior thesis on and provide me with the financial means to do so.