Beyond Brownies … advice for seniors from recent grads

Erin Hoodlet '02

As we reside now in the bleacher seats of the “real world,” our perspective on senior year has changed. Looking back, it is easy to pick out the things we loved, the things we regret and the things that will still make us smile 40years from now. We want to share this with all of you. And, we begin.

Beyond Brownies

Quality time with friends is irreplaceable, but this time doesn’t need to be spent dancing on the pool table at the Onion. Some of our very best memories are from our kitchen table at 2:30 a.m. on a weeknight.

Be open-minded to meeting new friends. Some of our nearest and dearest friends are those we didn’t meet until senior year. Don’t be afraid to venture out of your comfort zone.

Don’t over-commit yourself. Enjoy your new freedom away from extracurriculars. If you’ve grown accustomed to going to 137 meetings a week, your load is likely to soon let up. Don’t feel guilty about not being busy all the time.

Be spontaneous. Don’t plan everything or always commit to the same bars or parties. Some of the best moments come from the night that you and your roommates dressed in drag and raced up the “Rocky Steps” in the rain armed with a bullhorn and a video camera. Remain a part of campus life even though you’re living off. Get a sunburn at the Oreo. Tak a four-hour lunch in the IK. Get a freshman to swipe you into the Spit. Sit in the student section at the basketball games. Go to a Sunday night Mass. Learn the alma mater. Oh, and go to class.

Speaking of Class…

Go. Believe it or not, you’ll miss it when it’s gone.

Take a class that you’ve heard good things about. Forget about the time slot, forget the fact that it’s easy. Find a subject that intrigues you. Sign up for class with a professor you’ve heard is inspiring.

Don’t stress. Even perfectionists need a break once in awhile. Your school work is important (remember, that diploma mid-May is key), but also to enjoy yourself. This is a year of “lasts.” You’ll regret the things you didn’t do a lot more than the things you did do.

“So what are you doing next year?” Also known as: the dreaded question.

How are you expected to know what you’re doing a year from now? You don’t even know if you have clean underwear for tomorrow! Just remember, you DON’T need to know yet. Everyone’s situation is different. Don’t compare yourself to the guy who sits next to you in Finance who has 36 interviews next week when you don’t even have a resume yet. You’ll be okay. Here are our two (very different) stories that both ended in success.

Sue knew she was going right to graduate school and took the GREs in early fall. She knew where she wanted to apply and finished the application process by Thanksgiving. Then, she sat back, relaxed and waited for acceptance letters to come rolling in. She is now living in a great apartment in Boston attending BC full-time. Success!

Erin wasn’t sure about anything. To be honest, she didn’t even have a resume put together until mid-June. She relaxed for a few weeks after graduation, and then began the job-search. She went on two interviews in July, and scored an editing job at Houghton Mifflin publishing in Boston. She loves it.

We really believe that our stories ended happily ever after because we did what felt right for us. Sue wasn’t afraid of being a poor student for the next two years of her life. Erin wasn’t put off by her friends that were fully employed with signing bonuses by Christmas.

Bottom line: you are going to be fine. Don’t feel like a failure if you don’t have a job by May. Stressing out will only waste valuable time; that could be used making memories with that family away from home and, when it comes down to it, that’s the good stuff. Remember, we have no formal training in any of this. We’ve just been there. This said, live it up. Have a great year, and we’ll see you at Homecoming. Go Cats!