Today I realize that my academic career is coming to an end. What used to be seen as a never-ending road of exams and quizzes became a gateway to a bigger and brighter future.
The first day of a semester is always exciting. It is the first day of a new beginning. Everyone is happy, excited and nervous. As a senior, this is my eigth and final time to go through this. Each semester brought new beginnings, new failures and, most importantly, new lessons. Many of the lessons would have been great to know at the very beginning of my college years at Marquette University.
Here are 14 lessons I have learned as a Marquette student:
Don’t be afraid to change your major. Many students have the luxury of being able to wait to declare his or her major by the time they are juniors. Take your time. Relax. Find out what you want to do and who you want to be upon graduation. Changing your major a few times is not a bad thing. This is the time to decide what you are passionate about and how you plan to use your skills in the real world. It is better to discover this now versus 10 years down the road. I started off as a business major, then I switched to advertising at the end of freshmen year, and then I changed it to public relations sophomore year. It was scary at first, but it was what needed to be done to find my way.
Be involved. In order to find out what you are passionate about, you have to try new things. There are over 270 student organizations on campus. I promise you will find one that is a match for you. I found some of my best friends at Marquette by getting involved on campus.
Explore Milwaukee and use your U-PASS. This pass is the key to your expedition in Milwaukee. Every semester you have unlimited opportunites to get out into our community and to discover new people and places. You might be surprised by some of the things you will find. As a photographer, I have found many places to use for photo shoots. There is so much beauty to the Milwaukee area. You just need to go find it for yourself.
Be a Fanatic. Even if you are not interested in sports you can still be a Marquette Fanatic. You are only in college once. Take this opportunity to be a part of a long tradition at your university. Join a community of thousands and support our Golden Eagles on the court. Plus, it is super cheap to get season tickets. It is well worth the price. My freshmen year I camped out overnight before the basketball game against the Wisconsin Badgers. Nowadays I usually stroll in right before the National Anthem. It does not matter what level you are at, just have fun.
Study abroad. College will take you places you have never been before… only if you allow it to happen. Many of my friends chose not to study abroad because they were afraid of “missing out”. I will be one of the many people to tell you that YOU are the one “missing out” if you hold yourself back like that. If your major allows you to take a semester or summer to study abroad, DO IT. You will not regret having a life-changing experience.
Listen to your professors. Believe it or not, your professors are your biggest supporters at Marquette. They want what is best for you in and out of the classroom. This is just one of the many examples of the love and dedication they show to their students.
Go to office hours. For real. Go. You should go at least once. Marquette professors HAVE to sit in their office for a certain amount of time per week just to be there for you. Meet them halfway and go visit them. Professors cannot help a student who is not seeking it out. If you are not struggling, then just go for fun and to make conversation. Many of your professors are worth getting to know.
Listen to guest speakers. This is very important. Professors are not trying to waste time by having guest speakers in class. There is a purpose behind the visit. Each speaker you have in class will give you knew knowledge and tools to success. Listen to them. Write down their contact info. Email or Tweet a thank you message to them. Why? Because YOU will stand out. YOU will create another contact in the professional world. YOU are networking.
Intern 2-3 times. There is no better way to put your knowledge and skills to the test than having an internship. I have had three internships and each of them have been rewarding in many ways. Internships provide you with much more than networking opportunities and real world experience. It can help you discover what you do and don’t want out a future job. Even a bad internship experience can teach you valuable lessons.
Rush. “I will never join a fraternity”. That was my mindset entering college. That was three years ago. Now I’m the president of SigEp on campus. Things change. Do not let preconceived notions keep you from trying new things. At the very least, rush. That is your week to meet the Greeks on campus and see if it could be the right activity for you. Do not shun it until you have tried it. I thank God every day for my fraternity experience. SigEp is my family here at Marquette.
Avoid drama. This is sometimes inevitable, but if you try hard to surround youself with decent people, you can get away from it. Do not let others drag you down into immature actions. They have high school mindsets and are not ready to join the real world. Be the bigger person and walk away from drama at all times.
Clean up your social media. Every mentor I have had in the last three years has suggested this. When you are looking for jobs and researching a company or organization, they are doing the same exact thing. Just be smart, be yourself, and be professional. If you do that everything will work out.
Be happy. Be yourself. College is the first time in your life that you are free to be whoever you want to be. Be happy and be yourself. Life is too short to be unhappy and pretending to be someone you are not. Take these four years to discover yourself. The minute you find yourself and the minute you will be smiling.
There it is. My 14 lessons from Marquette University. There is more where that came from and there will be new ones that you discover as a student.
On May 18th, the Class of 2014 will walk off that stage with much more than a diploma. We will depart transformed. Marquette will send us out into the world with the skills and knowledge to succeed in the professional world. The University will also send us out with the strength to live good lives and to be better Men and Women for Others.
Have a great semester.
“Arrive as you are, Depart transformed.”
— Aaron Ledesma, Comm ‘14
Aaron Jay Ledesma 