Senior Remarks - Emily Conkling

Things I wish I’d known

Wow! The time has come: I graduate in May. At the beginning of my college career, everyone told me that these 4 years would go by so fast. In my head, I thought “Yeah right, it’s FOUR years.” But here I am, and they were right.

I have learned so much during my time here at Purdue. I’ve learned about my major and my field,

how to develop as a professional, and how to manage my time and find that work-life balance. Throughout all of this, I’ve learned about my passions, my strengths, and my goals.

Here are some of the things I’ve learned along the way that might help you in your college journey:

1. By far the best advice I’ve gotten is to treat college like a full time job. Get on campus by 8 am, and stay on campus until 5 pm. Go to your classes and when you’re not in class, schedule meetings, or do your homework and projects. I’ve found that setting this schedule for myself allows me to have most weeknights and weekends free. It also sets up your internal clock for when you enter the work force.
2.  Keep a planner and stick to it. A huge part of the first semester learning curve is learning time management, and a planner is a great way to collect your thoughts and make sure that you’re accomplishing everything you need to.
3. Utilize your resources. Professors and TAs (teaching assistants) have office hours just so you can go ask questions! I’ve found it very helpful to do my homework in these office hours that way I can ask questions if I get stuck along the way. At the very least, go to office hours during the first few weeks of school and introduce yourself to your professor. This small gesture can go a long way and might benefit you when it comes to determining final grades.
4.  Speaking of utilizing resources, go to the CoRec, Purdue’s student recreation center. I wasn’t a big believer, but I can tell you now that the Freshmen 15 is a very real thing. Also, staying active is a fantastic stress relief and you can meet friends through joining intramural teams or exercise classes.
5. Your college education, and your professional career, will rely heavily on your ability to work
   on a team. Not every team is a positive experience, but they will be great learning experiences. Communication is key.
   
6. Get involved. Purdue has over 1000 student organizations, and these range from Greek life, to a lunar robotics club, to a juggling and unicycling club. If you have an interest or passion in something, I can almost guarantee Purdue has a club for it. Unlike high school, there isn’t a social hierarchy or strong judgement. So now is the time to try out something new!
7.  Roommates: Freshmen roommates can range from really good to well...unique experiences. But honestly, most fall somewhere in the middle. Nothing says you guys have to be instant BFFs or remain friends once you move out, but you do have to figure out how to live together for a year. Again, I’ve found communication is key, and respecting their space is SO important. At the very least, picking clothes up off the ground and cleaning dirty dishes can go a long way!
8. Your email is your best friend! Email is the main mode of communication in college, so try and get in the habit of checking your email at least once a day. Email is how you will learn about seminars, companies visiting campus, changes to course/work schedules, etc.
9.   Lastly, have fun! College is unlike anything else that you have experienced before. You’ll meet some incredible people who will become lifelong friends, and the memories you make with them will be ones you won’t forget. (And take lots of pictures!!)

Boiler Up!

-Emily Conkling