Life After Newhouse

As I near my final two weeks of the fall semester I was taken back by how fast it had gone. Sure, alumni and professors said it would, but to actually see the progress that was made, how far I have come and how little time left I have in Syracuse, it made me really start to think about what I want out of my last six months here.

Having come from a smaller city similar to Syracuse I knew I wanted something more after graduation, but I kept finding my goals were a bit different than my peers, which made me wonder if I was really making the right decision by being here in the fist place. One of the most important pieces of advice given to my classmates and me by Professor Sheehan was, “Wherever you go, make it great and it will be great.” From that moment, I felt better knowing that I did not have to follow the same path in order to be successful, as we all have different definitions of success, but I still needed to be smart about my decisions.

So, I did what I do best, and made a list of what is truly important to me and what do I want out of my life. It was from this list that I can now tailor the rest of my program to fit and get out of it what I need in order to move on with my career and carve my own path. Sometimes, it is easy to get caught up in the flow of everyone else’s dreams and pursuits, but the key point that I have learned since being here is knowing who you are is the single most important thing you can bring to the table and can help guide you anywhere you want to go.

I encourage anyone who is doubting their place or goals to take the time (and breathe) to think about what you like and do not like, and maybe ask your friends to assess you. I have found that my friends may know some things about me that I do not even notice because I am too busy doing other things and it is helpful to have those insights. If that still is not enough, go to your professors and the CDC, there is no shortage of help here, but remember they will not solve your problem for you. You have to make that decision and bring to them pieces of your puzzle that will help them gain an understanding of where you want to go and how they can help you get there.

I wish everyone a happy last two weeks of your semester!