Takeaways from College: The Reflections of a Soon-to-Be Grad
Whenever someone told me to enjoy my college years because they would “fly by”, I would smile before supplying a concurring quip. In actuality, I was slightly annoyed upon hearing advice of that sort; part of it being my aversion to clichés, and remarks about taking advantage of youth feeling especially trite. However, most of my misgivings came from what I perceived was implied by those who imparted such wisdom.
When one thinks of how “enjoying college” is portrayed in American culture, it typically involves binge drinking, drug use, and other illicit forms of experimentation. I naturally felt this was the type of fun being tacitly endorsed. Thus, as I’m not inclined to partake in anything illegal, I was reluctant of the upcoming collegiate experience at the time. Yet, part of me could not help but to feel guilty; if I did not “play hard” during the supposed best years of my life, would I regret it years later once fully fledged to corporate America’s rank and file?
As it turned out, my high school perspective lent itself to a false dichotomy. It was shortly after beginning college when I reached the seemingly obvious epiphany that making the best of SUNY Poly needed not involve recreating Animal House. Indeed, it was not through what I expected that these years had attained so much meaning, but rather through the insight I gained by acclimating to so much change. So that you may similarly benefit from the uncertainty that college brings, I will venture to offer some advice that, yes, I hope is not too cliché!
First, I would emphasize the importance of regularly evaluating whether your major is the best fit for you. Coming from a STEM-oriented high school, everyone had encouraged me to go into engineering, and I took little time for introspection to determine if said path really interested me. When I finally matriculated, I found that while our school has an excellent Mechanical Engineering program, I had absolutely no interest in it. Because of this apathy, my grades had begun to suffer. Feeling uncertain, I spoke to my First Year Seminar instructor, who encouraged me to share my interests with her. After this discussion, I realized that I may have been happier in the College of Business Management, as it was finance in particular that catered more to my strengths.
However, actually making this switch was deeply challenging for me; I had come to Poly to be an engineer, and I could not help but to feel like a quitter and a loser for wanting to switch, after all, I am the kind of person that is inclined to have his whole life planned out. Yet, in hindsight, I am grateful that I denied the temptation to continue forcing a square peg into a round hole at the expense of my academic prowess. There is no shame in changing course if the current path does not seem compatible with your goals, and this rings especially true if the most compelling reasons to stick with it are from a concern of what others think.
Aside from scholarly pursuits, people tend to discover the most about themselves through clubs and organizations. Schools know this, which is why they are so adamant about hosting club fairs so that students may “be connected with their interests.” While the intent for this reasoning is good and the underlying logic sound, I would like to append this goal, as a mention of discovering new interests also bears noting. As you are currently reading an article from The Factory Times, it can be deduced that I serve this organization as a writer. This would be an example of me connecting with my interests, as I have always enjoyed writing.
That said, my other major engagement at SUNY Poly as a leader of a Christian club is something that I never would have expected. I was a Sunday Catholic growing up, meaning that religion was only superficially significant during most of my upbringing. My freshman year of college caused me to lean more on faith, as most people do when they feel vulnerable. Because I had many questions about a belief system to which I was only nominally subscribed, I sought Poly’s Students of Christ. Although I would have laughed at the idea before, I found incredible value in connecting with my spirituality, and I gained a love for serving others which never was present in my life.
So, now we draw towards the conclusion. I would like to say that the takeaway is to prepare for and embrace the unexpected... but I expressed a desire to avoid clichés, had I not? Admittedly, there is little more I can add myself without knowing you, so I would implore you to meet people on campus who can give you a more profoundly personal insight. It is through connections with friends, peers, and mentors that we recognize new passions while critically reevaluating our standing beliefs and aspirations.
Although many of us at Poly may carry shells, I have found that at its core, our student body is incredibly approachable and insightful. There had been numerous occasions where I myself was hesitant to crawl out of my shell, but the social efforts I did make were invariably met with external kindness and rewarded with internal maturity. To that end, I would like to thank those at SUNY Poly who foster such an environment. It has indeed allowed these last few years to be among the best of my life, and I trust that those who inherit my soon-to-be alma mater will continue facilitating a non-intimidating forum which spurs personal growth for years to come.
