Do you ever just stop and think, “when did it become February?”  We have less than three months of this semester left and for some, less than three months of college.  Let that sink in.  So what do we do other than panic?  Meet Sam Knight.  Sam is in her senior year and her college experience is coming to an end, however she has some words of wisdom moving forward.
Ashlyn: With senior year coming to an end, how are you coping?
Sam: I’m actually coping pretty well. Sometimes I forget that I am graduating and that I will be out in the real world pretty soon.
Ashlyn: What are your goals for the rest of the semester?
Sam: My plans for the rest of the semester consist of getting through the last of my classes, looking into possible graduate schools, applying for jobs, and just having fun with friends and family.
Ashlyn: Do you plan on ending the year with a “bang”? How?
Sam: I don’t really plan on ending my year with a bang. I am just excited to walk across the Cistern and get my diploma. Â
Ashlyn: What do you wish you knew your freshman year that you know now?
Sam: You don’t have to live the “college experience.” You can create your own and still feel like you’ve lived the college life in your own way.
Ashlyn: How do you juggle the stress of classes and exams during your capstone courses and clinical time?
Sam: I make sure that I have all the important dates of major assignments down in an agenda or on a calendar. I also make sure that I get the harder, more important or longer, assignments done earlier so that I know that they are already completed and I have less to worry about as the week goes on. Capstones are also very teacher oriented and differ based on that. I had to take one last semester and I am taking one this semester as well because of my particular major and concentration. If you have to take more than one capstone or clinicals, I would not suggest taking them in the same semester because of workloads. Give yourself time to do the work.
Ashlyn: What are you plans for after you graduate?
Sam: I hope to get into the Fall Disney College Program this year, I find out within the next month whether I got in or not, and afterwards I will be moving to Hawaii for graduate school.
Ashlyn:Â What advice do you have for rising seniors?
Sam: The advice I have is to not let anything get you down or stressed. Don’t think of it as the end, but as the beginning. Balance your work with fun and surround yourself with friends and positivity.
All photos courtesy of Sam Knight.