Our BU alumnus couldn’t have said it any better
There is about two weeks left until spring graduation, and you know who’s freaking out? This girl. I’m freaking out because I’m still looking and hearing back from jobs. I’m freaking out because if I don’t get a job soon, I’ll have to resort back to my old room in my parents’ house, which is painted baby blue and has stuffed animals on the bed, so no. And I’m freaking out because I’m excited to finally be done with school (but also terrified because I’m probably a little too excited about graduating).
The thing is, graduation crept up on me so quickly that I can’t imagine why I ever thought it took so long to get here. Now that I have all my Senior Week events planned, bought my graduation dress and ordered my cap and gown, I can’t help but realize that after Senior Week and Commencement Weekend, I don’t have much of anything else figured out and I wish I did. So here are a couple things I wish I did while I was at BU to prepare for my future, and some things I wish I did for funsies to keep, what’s left of my sanity, afloat.
Before I came to BU, it didn’t occur to me that internships are almost a must. In fact, I thought that I could coast through, graduate and not have any form of experience outside of school. It wasn’t until I transferred universities and began studying in COM at BU that it hit me in the face, and it hit me late. One of my regrets is not taking my field and myself seriously. In a way, I didn’t apply because I was scared of not getting the opportunity, and (here’s the shocker), I screwed myself over. Working at my internship gave me this power and a feeling of importance that I would never give up. I learned to persevere and because of it, I saw how far I came with my love and skill for writing that I had no choice but to believe in myself.
Networking is actually a thing. Sometimes it can be irritating to be nice to people 24/7, butttt you should. I didn’t realize that the way you treat someone and the way you act can reflect you and stay with you so far into the future. It unbelievable how much people remember, but the insignificant actions you do now, your friendships, your contacts all matter. Networking begins as easily as your friends and then will eventually branch toward professionals who you admire and want to work for. Here’s the thing—you can’t tell yourself that you’re not qualified or on their level. Don’t be your own buzz kill. You are awesome, motivated and smart, so remember that, but also remember that most industries are cut throat and you need to know some peepz in order to display how talented you really are. Being cute and intelligent won’t cut it.
Who would have known that Wiz Khalifa had it right? ‘Work hard, play hard’ should be our life mantra, but I thought that I needed to only work hard to succeed, and guess what? I burned myself out. So with just a month I have left in Boston, I decided to explore my city more. I’m still practically a tourist in this city. I don’t know streets, T lines, heck, I might as well jump on one of those Duck Tours roaming down Newbury Street. It’s because I confined myself to my apartment couch and the best relationship I’ve had was with my laptop (it’s serious, we FaceTimed daily). So with the small amount of time I have remaining in this city, I finally decided to have some fun, well, at least go out once every weekend. I’m not kidding; I put it in my agenda. Overloading does nothing but give me wrinkles and (highly infused) caffeinated energy. So really, who’ll oppose the ‘work hard, play hard’ mantra? I’ll be working the rest of my life anyway. Might as well have fun while I’m still young. Then, I’ll put on that black cap and scarlet gown, walk down the aisle to receive my diploma and make another step forward to the rest of my life (and twerk to ‘Work Hard, Play Hard’ while I’m at it).