September 12, 2017
Eleanor Sturt
As freshmen, students are reminded time and time again to get involved on campus.
We are encouraged to try new clubs, organizations and activities that we did not consider before. By our senior year, it is easy to be involved in so many areas that it is hard to focus on our actual career.
It’s okay to drop these activities now.
No, I don’t mean classes or assignments; your studies are the reason that you’re here. But it is okay to give up activities that keep you from focusing on your degree.
My opinion is timely, as it signals the end of my career as copy editor with The Scribe during my senior year at UCCS.
I came on staff during in my first year on campus. The Scribe shed a different light on my studies, and since then, I have flourished in my theater degree.
Sadly, the newspaper no longer serves me the way it used to, and it’s time for me to leave.
For seniors, it may be hard to drop activities you have become involved in during your time at UCCS.
Seniors don’t need to focus on getting involved on campus anymore. All the extra events and clubs that do not apply to your career are no longer beneficial. Move your focus off of UCCS and onto the professional world. It’s why you came to college in the first place.
Senior year means that you’re mainly taking upper-level classes. If you think you can spend the same amount of time on classes as you did your first year, you are in for a hard semester.
Papers are longer, readings are more intense and the classes are more than just essays and tests; the professors are looking for comprehension and analysis. Now is your time to show just how much you have learned in college.
For those looking at graduate schools, filling out the applications take time. There are forms, essays and interviews for most every graduate school application. If you are planning on applying for scholarships, (which you should) that will also take time.
If graduate school is not for you, you may be looking for a job in your field straight out of college. You might want to look at internships during your final year or begin networking with professionals in your field. This will ease your transition into the workforce.
Or if you are looking at moving out of state, you need to spend time looking at apartments, looking for roommates and finding a job in your new location. Preparation is key.
I am grateful for the past few years with The Scribe. Journalism has taught me valuable skills; I’m a better writer and communicator now than I was before.
Leaving hurts, but it is time to focus on my specific area of study and prepare for the career that lies ahead.
Now onto another great adventure. Thanks for this one.