Advice from Someone Who is Done with School Forever

Last year I urged people to explore the unknown, work relentlessly towards their goals and to never forget to have fun. That was after I completed my bachelor’s degree at Hofstra University. Now, I have finished the master’s portion of my education, and I am officially done with school forever (insert long breath of relief here).

I wasn’t sure if I had any more unsought advice to give, as not much about my life or outlook on things have changed over the last year. After some reflection, though, there is one more thing I think people should know: socialize early on, because it becomes harder as years pass.

It is so much easier to build friendships earlier in your college career than it is during the latter part. Usually you have a bit more free-time as a freshman than your junior your senior years of college, as that is when people usually grow into leadership positions and land internships. As responsibilities pile, it’s definitely a challenge to stay in touch with your friends as much as you would like. It’s also difficult to make new friends during this busy time of your schooling. There are a few people I met in my graduate program who I would have loved to grow closer to, but admittedly, we were all just a bit too busy with our respective lives.

I’m not saying it’s not impossible to make new friends as a senior in college or as a graduate student; we all do it. Our friend groups evolve over time. People move away, people change, people grow apart and so on. All I am saying is that it is harder to grow these relationships while also maintaining your current ones, working, interning, participating in extracurricular activities and more. It’s hard, but not impossible.

So socialize as much as you can while you can and find your people. Remind those around you how much they mean to you. Make time for friends, new or old, despite your busy schedules. Work hard, but don’t forget to enjoy the ride. Besides, we can’t get through this crazy thing we call life alone.