As March comes to end and Spring Break has now passed, that only means one thing for our Seniors here at Colgate… The end of college is quickly approaching. After 4 years of intense studying and a lot of drinking, most seniors are sad to see it end. Going into the real world seems scary, right? I sat down with Charlotte Redican, a senior from Pittsburgh, PA and asked her some questions reflecting on her college experience and her plans for the future. Keep reading to learn more about your fellow classmate!
Ari: What are you plans for after college?
Char: I will be working in NYC for Cushman & Wakefield within its Investment Sales team.
Ari: Are you ready?
Char: It’s tough because on the one hand I never want to leave and on the other hand I’m ready to move on. It is a scary feeling graduating college, particularly from a place that has given you some of the best 4 years of your life, but also because it is truly the end of childhood. So far we have been living in a bubble with the safety net of our parents, and after graduation we will be responsible for our rent, taxes, food, and everything in between. However, I feel like I have outgrown the whole college thing and am ready for my next chapter.
Ari: Do you wish you could start over?
Char: No. Obviously, hindsight is 20/20, but I think that I needed to go through the motions, make mistakes and get my ya-yas out in order to get to the place I am today. I think it is an important 4 years to figure yourself out, get familiar with your limits, and learn from both successes and failures. For me, my college experience was like a pendulum, one year I’m far left, another year I’m far right, the next I’m swinging in between the two trying to find a balance, and finally get to a stable and balanced place.
Ari: If you could, would you do it the same way?
Char: Honestly, it is different for everyone. We all come in with different backgrounds and different aspirations for our 4 years at college. These ideas are usually ill conceived and rarely reflect the actual path taken throughout college. This is a good thing, because you need time on your own without being under the direct thumb of your parents, to develop, refine and construct our own goals and aspirations. Sure there are things I regret and would do differently if I had the chance to go back, but for each of those moments a lesson was learned.
Ari: What have you learned about yourself?
Char: So many things, big and small, it is hard to conjure all of them up but I will try my best… I have discovered that I am intellectually curious and do really enjoy learning about the world. I have learned that relationships are very important to me and my happiness, being around people and getting to know them. Also, because my closest friends keep me in line, which I need. I have learned the power of hard work and determination.
I definitely was not born to be an economics major, it doesn’t come easy to me at all, but I persevered, stuck with it, and will graduate as an Econ major. I like to think of me as an Econ major like Honey Boo Boo trying to be a Victoria’s Secret model, and no matter how much she works out or eats only kale, she will never have the body type, she’ll look great but never quite make the cut.
Ari: Do you hope to visit?
Char: Definitely next year because I have a lot of close friends in the class below mine. After that I don’t foresee myself coming every year unless I go back with a bunch of other Colgate grads. I will 100% be partaking in each reunion event in the future, if I can.