After completing the last full week of classes for the Fall 2024 semester, I feel the big day rapidly approaching — my college graduation. I have had an incredible three and a half years of undergrad, full of friends, opportunities, and of course, my Her Campus community! However, the experience, especially this semester, has been a roller coaster. Late nights, overwhelming workloads, and questionable meals seem to be part of the package. Knowing all I do now as I prepare to graduate, here are my takeaways and advice to those still finding their footing in a campus setting:
- get off campus
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Throughout my time at Jefferson, I have really fallen in love with East Falls. The neighborhood is full of incredible small businesses, events, and communities if you haven’t taken the chance to explore yet, go! Walk down the hill behind Ravenhill and go to Vault and Vine! Go for a hike in the Wissahickon! Take the bus (or the 45-minute walk) to Manayunk and get lunch! Buy a snack at the East Falls Farmers’ Market! There is so much to see and do nearby that you are definitely missing out on without an off-campus adventure.
- don’t make excuses
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One of the hardest things for me to learn during my college career is that good habits are actually pretty easy to break (at least in my experience). Every year, I start off the semester with great habits, such as healthy snacks or consistent self-care routines. By the end of the semester, it has vanished into the ether and I am feeling frustrated that I am not taking the best care of myself during those busy weeks. My advice is to never make excuses to let go of your good habits! Feeling tired is not a good enough reason to not get up to your alarm and not pack a real meal for lunch. “I’ll do it later” is always a gateway to not cleaning your emotional support water bottle for weeks. Even though it is going to be really difficult, hold yourself accountable for staying consistent with all of your self-care habits! Don’t let homework or classes take them away from you. I promise that you will feel better in the long run.
- okay, actually, do make excuses (for adventures)
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Even though I can’t support making excuses to not do things, I will ALWAYS be in support of making excuses to do things. Knowing that my friends and I will be dispersed throughout the country after May 8, I will find any and all reasons to fit in a mini adventure or a celebration. It’s a stressful day so we need to go get ice cream! It’s fall so we need to go apple picking! It’s an hour until I have work so we can go get coffee! College is actually really short and will fly by, so do all that you can to spend as much time with the people you’ve grown to love in the meantime. Work will always be there, but having your entire friend group in the same building is a really unique experience that you need to take advantage of.
- find a community
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I have been extremely lucky to find some incredible communities during my time at Jefferson. The Visual Communication Program has been a place of love and comfort for me throughout my entire college career. I know I can always turn to a classmate or professor for anything I may need. Her Campus has grown and flourished into a vibrant group of incredible women that I am so proud to be a part of. I love attending meetings and joking and laughing with my other executive board and chapter members. I know that without these communities, these four years would not have been filled with so much light. So, my last and most important piece of advice is to find your own community, whether it’s academic or extracurricular. They will be the people you can ask questions when you’re confused, rant about your troubles with, or learn something new from. They will make your college experience infinitely better than it would have been without them.
Good luck!