Don’t “Blink And Miss It”: Advice from Senior to Freshman Women

As a freshman, I can attest to the fact that many of us are still finding our place at Sewanee. Every little piece of advice helps in trying to make the Sewanee experience PRIME. Who else better to ask for advice than the very women who have navigated the school for the past four years and have already left their mark?  I was lucky enough to be given random tidbits of advice from inspiring senior girls who have all touched this university in one way or another. As one senior, Andi Jordan, put it so well: “You don’t want to believe we are wiser, but we are more experienced on this mountain and in life. If you don’t take this advice, then you’re going to blink, it’s going to be your senior year, and you’re going to think “damn…why didn’t I listen to them?” Or, as Carole Anne Spohn said, “There is no such a thing as a set master plan to how your college career will be…I know everybody tells people to “expect the unexpected” but realize that things change for the best!”

GOING OUT

• “Grangers are microwaveable and taste exactly the same reheated” -Andi Jordan

• “Don’t put alcohol/mixed drinks in your daily-used water bottle. It will smell and taste like Jack Daniels, no matter how many times you wash it.” -Andi Jordan

• “Don’t choose Netflix…Go be with your friends because that is what you’re going to remember from college. You’re not going to remember that night you spent watching 2 seasons of your favorite series.” -Andi Jordan

• “Befriend the Pub workers, the Mcclurg workers, and the Globe workers. They are incredible individuals” -Katie Beth Miedaner

BE ACTIVE 

• “Go to everything! I mean it: go to lectures, go on Outreach trips, go see a play, and show up even if you don’t think you’ll know anyone there!” -Maggie Dunlap

• “Take advantage of our outreach trips…Everybody should do a study abroad but I think the best study abroad experiences are countries you wouldn’t vacation at! Join clubs that spark your interests! Be bold and go on adventures!” -Carole Anne Spohn

• “ ‘There is no equal force than that of a determined woman’…It is easy to get mixed up in and sometimes lost in the typical college experience. But always know that if you want to do something great, Sewanee allows you the opportunity to find those special things, experiences, and paths of motivation. It’s up to you to find those things and take them by force.  -Gaby Spangenberg 

• “Being in a sport…not only does it spur competition and responsibility, but you will also gain great role models from older athletes, your coaches, and most of all keep those athletes as your best friends. If you play an instrument or sing, get involved! If you want to pursue EMS or firefighting, go for it! It is a great opportunity for volunteer experience.  There are so many opportunities at Sewanee, and sometimes I think freshman girls are embarrassed and too overwhelmed with the social life to realize how important it is for them to stay focused and involve themselves in extracurriculars and not just the party/social scene.” -Willow Smith 

• “Be involved in anything and everything that you can because when you apply for jobs, your resume is just a list of all the things you DID…Good character and an imagination are hard to prove on a resume.”  -Andi Jordan

• “Sewanee has so much to offer every day of the week, and being involved is a great way to meet people and better yourself and the community. However…do not worry about doing absolutely EVERYTHING! Make sure to take care of yourself…These four years are all about discovering who you are and what you want, and each year it will change. Embrace it and know that this time is fleeting, but that you have so much more ahead of you!” -Channon Conner 

• “I came to Sewanee with so many different expectations, but as a senior I wouldn’t change a single thing about my college career!” -Carole Anne Spohn 

DRAMA 

• “Discretion is key. Be careful about what you say to whom — I went to girls’ school for seven years and the rapidity of gossip here is on another level compared to that experience.” -Maria Stratienko

• “Be kind to everyone…no matter who they are. It doesn’t matter where they come from, what background, what they do, or what they look like.  Just be nice to everyone, go out of your way to say hi and to smile. We’re not in high school or junior high, it’s not a time for cattiness, it’s a time for us to mature.  It’s time for us to be kind and stand up for others!” -Willow Smith 

• “School is already hard and people can be pretty impossible, so if you want to make your life easier, then go about your own business, avoid gossip, and just be ‘that really nice, awesome girl/boy.’ ” -Andi Jordan 

ACADEMICS 

• “Working hard on your school work, studying in the library, and being smart IS SEXY.  I cannot repeat how many times I have had guys admit that smart girls are attractive.” -Willow Smith

FUTURE 

• “Go over to the wonderful women in Career Services…I have met so many seniors this year who didn’t go to Career Services until this year! They are so wonderful and can help you out with anything.  They are really like moms to me, and have been so helpful…Whether it’s creating a resume for the first time, trying to find an internship, or editing a cover letter- they are more than happy to give you a helping hand.” -Sarah Laycock

ALL ABOUT YOU

• “Don’t be afraid to feel pretty and put on that extra bit of makeup or get dressed up. That’s what spurs your confidence.” -Willow Smith 

• “Live the next four, three, two, one, whatever years by the annoying acronym ‘Y.O.L.O.’…You are going to be in college once” -Andi Jordan 

• “Never, ever, ever be afraid to ask for help. Be honest about the ways in which you need help, and take that time for yourself. When you need to, make yourself your first priority.” -Maria Stratienko 

• “Feel gratitude every day, whether its being thankful for living in such a beautiful place, for the friends you’ve made, for family, or even professors and classes you’ve taken. Four years goes by faster than I ever imagined, and feeling gratitude has allowed me to appreciate my time here without feeling like something will be lost when I graduate, and has made me enjoy each day so much more.” -Chloe Nigro