Written by: Emily White
For this week’s article, I interviewed graduating seniors about their time here at Southern and asked for advice they have to share with those of us who still have more time here. Some of their answers follow:
Spiritual Life
“Prioritize your time with God, even if it means being late to class or putting yourself behind on an assignment. If you give God your time, He will take care of you! My mom always told me: ‘Do your best, and God will do the rest!’ In a similar vein, allow yourself to be used by Jesus as His hands and feet on campus. Even though we’re on an Adventist campus, there are still people here who need to see Jesus.”
-Amelia Zimmerman, Communication
“Find a place on campus to pray alone. Get creative with your location, but stay safe!”
-Emilie Updegrave, Psychology
Academics
“Ask for help, even if you don’t feel like you need it. If you ask for help, it leads to a lot less stress.”
-Sydney Bischoff, Fine Arts
“Don’t pick your major just for the money; pick it because you enjoy it. When you do something you’re interested in, you’re likely to go much farther.”
Charles Peters, Computer Science
“Get your gen-eds out of the way as soon as possible.”
-Emilie Updegrave, Psychology
“Take notes in a physical notebook, because it’s more fun and you will have something to look back through, especially if you doodle in it! Studies show that actual physical notes are better for retention. Try to use a separate notebook for all your classes. I didn’t once [and] I got confused.”
-Amelia Zimmerman, Communication
“Don’t start skipping classes or turning in assignments late. Once you start, it becomes really hard to stop.”
-Jasiel Castro, Psychology
“Constantly evaluate your priorities. It will either confirm the path/major you’re on or it’ll show you that it’s time to make a change, which is okay. An extra year in college, even the expense of it, is well worth the joy of doing something fulfilling for the next 40-plus years.”
-Ryan Howell, Chemistry
“Don’t be afraid of failure—for example, choosing the wrong major. College is a good place to mess up, so you’re in the perfect place to make mistakes. It’s better to try and fail instead of not trying anything at all. Also, some of the professors here are so underrated! If you find professors here that you like, try and spend some time with them so you can learn from them. Ask for career advice and life advice, and try to get to know them!”
-Kaitlyn Kim, Psychology
Finances
“Tuition is going up by 6.8%… get good scholarships.”
-Brandon Gustrowsky, Computer Science
Friendship
“Be friendly! If you want a friend, someone else probably wants a friend, too! Be the friend that you want to have. Take advantage of being in an environment that is full of other people your age.”
-Amelia Zimmerman, Communication
“Make a lot of friends at first, because you won’t have time to make friends later.”
“Be a part of a team in some way, whether that’s through a club, intramural team, instrumental ensemble, or LifeGroup. You can meet new people and bond with them!”
-Jasiel Castro, Psychology
“I wish that I would have been able to appreciate some people sooner. Don’t be afraid to make the jump from classroom friends to outside-of-class friends.”
-Kaitlyn Kim, Psychology
Mental Health
“Be patient with yourself and know that you will understand things eventually. Allow yourself to learn. When I first came, I knew very few people and had no friends, but I had to be patient and trust God, and He provided friendships and opportunities beyond what I could have asked for.”
-Amelia Zimmerman, Communication
“Utilize the counseling department. It’s free! Use them as a free person to talk to, especially if you’re a talker; they’re legally not allowed to share your tea.”
“When I was a freshman, I was afraid to do anything solo. Honestly, though, nobody cares that you’re eating in the cafeteria by yourself or studying in the library in solitude. Don’t let your fear of others keep you from doing things alone.”
-Kaitlyn Kim, Psychology
Student Life
“Take advantage of all of the extracurricular options. At Southern, you get a ton of opportunities that you don’t get anywhere else.”
-Jasiel Castro, Psychology
“Please don’t canoodle on campus (particularly in Bietz).”
-Ryan Howell, Chemistry
