A senior's guide to surviving and thriving in college

Senior year. It’s hard to believe that three years have gone by so quickly. It seems like just yesterday that I was moving into the dorms without a clue as to what college was all about. I can say that it was everything that I expected and nothing at all like I thought it would be. I’ve had lots of ups and downs, make lots of mistakes and enjoyed lots of successes.

While I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, I will attempt to savor these last nine months at Ohio University. Despite the expense of attending an out of state school, I have never regretted my decision to come here. I cannot image being anywhere else, and I will be a Bobcat for life.

For those of you who haven’t started college yet or those of you who still have a couple years left, I hope the following advice will help you make the most of your college experience.

1. Get involved. I know it’s intimidating to join an organization in which you don’t know anyone or know anything about, but it will be worth it. If I hadn’t gone to my first PRSSA meeting in fall 2007, I would have never gotten the chance to network with professionals, meet other PR students or even join ImPRessions. Not only have I met some amazing people, but I’ve had the opportunity to gain leadership experience that has been vital to my success.

2. Work hard. The workload in college is extremely intimidating at first, but if you stay on top of things you’ll be fine. I’m not saying you need to get a 4.0 or study 24/7, but establishing a killer work ethic early on in your college career will not only make the next few years seem easier (because you’ve realized you can handle the work) but it will show future employers that you have what it takes to shine. My secret to long nights of studying: energy drinks, studying in groups and taking breaks so you don’t get too burnt out.

3. Save time for fun. This may seem contrary to my previous tip, and it is the lesson I’ve had the most difficult time with. I get so caught up in school work, meetings and my organizations that I forget to let myself have some free time. Take time away from your stressors and go see a movie, go to the gym, hang out with friends or simply do nothing at all. Nobody expects you to work 100 percent of the time, so you shouldn’t expect that of yourself either.

4. Try something new. While I’m not exactly adventurous, I have taken opportunities to try new things in college. I’ve gone to a Latin dance night and attempted to keep up with the authentic dancers, played intramural softball (a sport I’ve never played in my life) and flew to Chicago, my first flight without a chaperone.

There’s no doubt that I will be sad to leave Athens in the spring. I’ve made a lot of good memories in my time here and have made amazing friendships that I hope will last a lifetime. Even so, I am looking forward to what the future brings. People say that college is the best four years of your life, and while I agree that it is a unique period of time like which you will never again experience, I don’t think it’s a completely true statement. My belief is that these four years will be my gateway into fulfilling my dreams and is a foundation upon which I can build my future.

Time flies

As the time for me to schedule quickly approaches, I cannot believe how fast my time in college is going by. It is impossible for me to comprehend that, in a little over a year I will be graduating and going out into the “real world.” This is probably the scariest and most exciting time of my life.

I’m beginning to realize how little time I have left at Ohio University, and it’s bittersweet. Part of me wants to graduate and start working and doing what I love, but I’ve found a whole other family here that I’m simply not going to be ready to leave next year.

I feel like I’ve finally found my footing in college, finally figured out the balance between classes, work, extracurricular and fun, and now that I’ve figured it all out it seems that my life is in fast forward.

So, after coming to that realization, I’ve made a conscious effort to experience new things while I’m here. For my online journalism class I am working on a blog about the arts at Ohio University, and that has pushed me to talk with people I wouldn’t normally and to attend events and performances that I might not otherwise make time for. I’ve started playing the piano again (I hadn’t really learned a new song for years before now), and have taken up running, which I previously despised.

If anyone has ideas of things I need to accomplish before leaving college, I’d be more than happy to hear them!

Blowin' in the wind

As I began my junior year at Ohio University, I thought I was completely adjusted to college. I was so excited to move back to Athens into an apartment with three of my best friends, to start classes and my new internship. I could handle anything.

Wrong. I was not prepared for cooking, cleaning, rent, utilities, and basically being an adult. I mean, how on earth do people have full-time jobs and still have time to do the laundry and throw something together for dinner and pay the bills? It floored me how difficult growing up can be.

Change is always difficult, even if it’s for the best. That has taken me a long time to figure out. I am so thankful for friends and family, and have realized what things are truly important in my life.

I try to look at new things in my life as adventures. There is always an opportunity to learn something, even if things don’t work out the way you want them to. Every experience I have had, personal or career-related, good or bad, has made me who I am, and I don’t regret any of it.

I also would not be able to advance in my career without my mentors. The amount of knowledge I receive simply from talking to them is something I will be forever indebted to them. I am so lucky to have them as my backbone, supporting me in all I do. I hope one day I will be able to offer the experience and advice that my mentors have so graciously given me.

I have to admit, I’m still afraid of growing up. It is inevitable, but that doesn’t make it any less scary. Even with my doubts, I’m excited about what the future holds. I love PR more and more every day, and I’m happy to have found something I am so passionate about. This year is going to be extremely busy, but I’m already loving every minute of it.

Bob Evans event

Today we had our first event for the Bob Evans ImPRessions account. Three of us from the account went to Chillicothe to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Bob Evans in town.

It was such a neat experience. All day we helped hand out prizes to those who attempted a game of corn hole and we gave away a gift card every hour. The local country station, 94.3, was at Bob Evans and I had my first experience doing a radio spot to draw people to our event.

I got to meet the VP of the marketing department for the company and I was very impressed with her. She seemed really excited about the event and passionate about her company.

We also got our picture taken with Biscuit and Gravy, Bob Evan's mascot dogs. The event was mostly outside and the wind was freezing but we kept warm with coffee and hot chocolate.

We learned some great tips about the correct way to give out promotional items and the importance of wording when publicizing an event. I am so excited to keep working on this account. We're even going to get to present to the Marketing department in Columbus sometime soon. Overall this is turning out to be a great experience.