Dear Class of 2020...

High School Senior, tips to succeed in your first year of college.

Dear class of 2020,

Congratulations! You’ve achieved that high school diploma (albeit kind of strange circumstances given the global pandemic) - but hope is on the horizon and your future is bright!

Many of you are going to embark on your next journey and start college or university this Fall. This exciting, terrifying, and unknown leap of faith has the opportunity to set you up for success in the future. In my undergraduate years at Western Illinois University (2007 - 2011), I thrived. I absolutely LOVED college. It wasn’t perfect, and I made plenty of mistakes. There are a few things I did that I believe helped set me up for success and open doors and opportunities for where I am today. 

I hope you take these tips to heart and can apply them to your first year of college! May success be always in your favor. 

1. GO TO CLASS

I was TERRIFIED to start college. I thought I was going to fail, I wouldn’t like my classes, I wouldn’t be able to do the work, and so on. My dad was a college professor for 29 years so I had the good fortune to have his guidance and support as I started this new journey. The ONE thing he made me promise him is to GO TO CLASS. He said, “If you go to every class, you will get As. You have to go to class.” He was right. I graduated with a 3.95 Summa Cumme Laude. I never skipped class. 

This may seem obvious, but seriously, just go to class. It may seem cool to skip, ditch, sleep in, or do anything other than going to class. If you don’t have a LEGITIMATE excuse - GO TO CLASS. 

You (or your parents) are PAYING for this education. Keep this in mind - don’t be a selfish asshole and take advantage of your parent’s money because you want to go get drunk with your greek friends. Be grateful you have this opportunity that many people don’t.  

Take advantage of what you (or your parents…) are paying for. Your professors, the administration, the university is there for you to utilize and use their resources. But it starts with GOING TO CLASS. Do what is expected of you, and you will succeed.  Your professors are your lifelines, which brings me to my next tip. 

2. DEVELOP TRUE RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR PROFESSORS

The FIRST thing you need to do after your first class is to go up and introduce yourself to your professor. Even if its Biology 101 and a class of 500 students - GO INTRODUCE YOURSELF. (if you have virtual classes this fall due to COVID-19, email them personally and ask for a time to meet them). 

Whether you like it or not, your professor is in control of your grade. You have to play by the rules of your professor. I did not do this well a few times, and it came back to bite me in the butt. 

You need to understand and meet the expectations of them to succeed in their class. The best way to succeed is 1. GO TO CLASS, 2. Develop a true relationship with them. If you make the effort to get to know your professor and show genuine interest in their work (even if you’re not…), they will go above and beyond to help you. 

Your professor likely will have office hours - GO TO THEM. Double-check your work, ask them questions about their presentations, get to know their research and personal interests. Many of my college professors became dear friends of mine because we developed great relationships in class and maintained them beyond. 

These developed relationships with your professors will help you in the future when you are looking for letters of recommendation to jobs, programs, and future educational opportunities. 

3. DIVERSIFY THE CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS YOU’RE PART OF

Universities have HUNDREDS of clubs, organizations, and sports to be part of. If you can’t find SOMETHING, you’re not trying. 

The number of clubs and organizations I was part of in college was crazy. I was a collegiate athlete, a member of two honors societies, played intramural sports, was a news anchor for our university News Team, and was president of the Kinesiology, Exercise Science Student Association. 

I did all these things because I was genuinely interested and wanted to participate - and all these clubs and orgs ended up being GREAT resume builders for me. When I was interviewing for internships and jobs post-college, I would speak to my experiences about the diversity of the organizations and clubs I was part of during college, and my interviewers were blown away by the diversity, my time management, and that I was able to gain so many different applicable skills in these clubs. 

Within these clubs and organizations, there is always an opportunity to socialize and make friends. These friends can later on become resources for you post-graduation when you’re searching for jobs or work opportunities.

4. FIND A JOB

Think you can just ride through college on your student loans or on Mommy and Daddy’s money? Again - don’t be a selfish a**hole and go find some real work experience and make your own money. It may not be jobs that you’re super gung-ho about or bring it a lot of cash, but you’ll have some spending money and have resume builders, i.e. work experience. 

I’m a workaholic. I love to work. I love to make money. I had 4 jobs during my time as an undergraduate student. I was a personal trainer and group fitness instructor at our campus recreation center, I was a tumbling coach at a local tumbling/dance studio, I was a DJ and board operator at the local radio station (I used to want to work in TV and radio being a broadcaster), and I was a bartender at a local bar (which is to this day, the best job I have EVER HAD - shout out to all my Change of Pace homies!). 

Do you need to have 4 jobs… no. I worked 12 - 15 hours a week between them all. More hours during my junior and senior year, a lot in the summer. Similar to my experience with the clubs and organizations I was part of, the DIVERSITY of jobs I had and REAL WORK EXPERIENCE set me apart from many other people that were interviewing for the same internships and jobs. I miraculously landed an internship at Apple Inc. in Cupertino, CA, the Corporate Headquarters, in their Corporate Health and Wellness Department. 

Other than having the correct qualifications and knowing my shit from my degree (just like the 500+ other applicants), and having great letters of recs from my professors (refer back to tip 2), they told me what set me apart from other applicants is that I had real work experience and a diversity of work experience. I had no idea at the time that this work experience would help contribute to set me apart from other applicants, but I’m glad my hustle paid off. 

5. ESTABLISH AN EXERCISE ROUTINE

You’ve probably heard of the “Freshman 15.” I don’t agree with highlighting body weight as an indication of being “out of shape” or unhealthy. However, it's not uncommon for freshmen to gain weight in their first year. This is likely the first time you’re on your own away from your parents establishing new routines and creating your new environment. You’re no longer involved in organized sports with a coach and teammates holding you accountable for your sport and conditioning. As an athlete, you were likely practicing 2 - 3 hours a day, 5 - 6x / week year-round to stay in top shape for your sport.

Unless you’re a collegiate athlete, it’s unlikely you’ll be practicing this much. Prior to school starting, start researching athletic clubs, intramurals, and activities that you can get involved in. This way, when you get to campus you can hit the ground running and maintain a regular exercise routine. Getting involved in clubs, sports, or group classes at the University Rec Center is a great way to make friends, grow your network, and find awesome people to live that active and healthy lifestyle with! 

I hope you’ve gained a few tidbits of knowledge to help you succeed in your first year of college.

To summarize:
1. Go to class, 2. Know your professors. 3. Join clubs, 4. Find a job, 5. Exercise 

Crush it class of 2020!