With 28 days until graduation, I’ve been feeling sentimental. Wow, a full four years have just flown by. They really do mean it when they say every year passes quicker than the last. Looking back on my first two years of college and my final two years here at Saint Michael’s, here are 3 things I regret while pursuing my bachelor’s degree.
- I wish I studied abroad for an entire semester.
- Entering college, I thought I needed to stay within an hour of home so that my mom could come see me whenever I needed her. I could easily call my parents for any emergency and they could be there almost immediately. After two years, I realized I could move more outside that comfort zone and moved to a school 3+ hours away. The same line of thinking shaded my study abroad experience. “I’ll get too home sick.” “It’s too hard to stay away for 4 months.” “My parents can’t visit often – if at all – and I can’t afford a crazy international phone plan.” All of these worries? Understandable, but nonsense. After my first week in Italy, I had crossed the homesick hump and desired to stay longer – but I chose a quick summer program to go abroad but not commit for a full semester. This is my greatest regret. If I could do it all over again, I would do a fully immersive, foreign food eating, public transportation taking, crazy adventure of a study abroad program while I have the chance.
My abroad group on the rooftop of Saint Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City!
- Entering college, I thought I needed to stay within an hour of home so that my mom could come see me whenever I needed her. I could easily call my parents for any emergency and they could be there almost immediately. After two years, I realized I could move more outside that comfort zone and moved to a school 3+ hours away. The same line of thinking shaded my study abroad experience. “I’ll get too home sick.” “It’s too hard to stay away for 4 months.” “My parents can’t visit often – if at all – and I can’t afford a crazy international phone plan.” All of these worries? Understandable, but nonsense. After my first week in Italy, I had crossed the homesick hump and desired to stay longer – but I chose a quick summer program to go abroad but not commit for a full semester. This is my greatest regret. If I could do it all over again, I would do a fully immersive, foreign food eating, public transportation taking, crazy adventure of a study abroad program while I have the chance.
- I wish I did another internship.
- Looking back, I had a great experience at Local 22/44 working with the sports and news video production teams. It was through that real-world experience that I learned that broadcast news is not my passion, not something that will currently drive me to get out of bed every morning and look forward to my job. Realizing that, I wish I had another intern opportunity, working somewhere else to teach me more applicable skills and the reality of whether or not I feel at “home” in that career. Taking more intern opportunities, even over the summer (which I never fully realized was an option), would have given me more experience, skills in networking and interviewing, and continue to better my job search on the road to graduation.
Typical night of video production @ Local 22/44
- Looking back, I had a great experience at Local 22/44 working with the sports and news video production teams. It was through that real-world experience that I learned that broadcast news is not my passion, not something that will currently drive me to get out of bed every morning and look forward to my job. Realizing that, I wish I had another intern opportunity, working somewhere else to teach me more applicable skills and the reality of whether or not I feel at “home” in that career. Taking more intern opportunities, even over the summer (which I never fully realized was an option), would have given me more experience, skills in networking and interviewing, and continue to better my job search on the road to graduation.
- I wish I picked my major sooner.
- While this regret is a little tricky, I had no idea what I wanted to major in when I entered college. I mean, deciding what I want to do for the rest of my life when I’m 18 is crazy! I have been an elementary education, psychology, business/marketing, English, and media studies majors… although maybe not in that order. My advisers must have been so tired of meeting with me to talk about potential career paths, because I can see myself almost everywhere! Luckily, it was in the moment I took a television production class that I knew what I wanted to do, what would make me happy to go to work everyday. Realizing this, a little late, I had less time to take more of those classes, needing to catch up from the “wasted” time of management or religion courses.
However, my final, double-edged regret leads me to wish I could’ve taken more media and film classes, but also NOT regret the liberal arts experience I have gained. I believe I have the advantage over other students, being versed in art history and philosophy, biology and calculus. I am capable of tying together multiple schools of thought and converse in more global terms, realizing the inter-relatedness of all of our disciplines – the best gift my liberal arts education has given me. With that important clarification, learn from my mistakes and make the most of your college experience… it doesn’t last forever!
As always, let’s talk!
Twitter: @newlyjulie
Email: jshea4@mail.smcvt.edu