As a full-fledged graduate, I feel that I should end my relatively short blogging career at QC with a few parting words of wisdom, some lessons I have learned during my four years as an undergrad…

1. Take your time to decide what you want to do with your life. When I started out at QC I thought I knew exactly what kind of career I wanted: To become a doctor, which was what my parents had told me all my life. But I gradually learned that science was not my passion and neither was business… Now, after a lot of flip-flopping and arguing with my parents over my future poverty, I decided to pursue my interests in literature and am heading off to begin an English PhD program at the CUNY Graduate Center in the fall.

2. Talk to professors– This might be an intimidating thought, especially for those of you who are really shy and quiet like me, but it is definitely a fear worth overcoming. The professors at QC are fantastic, at least most of the ones I have encountered, and are always willing to help out or offer advice. Talking to them might not only improve your grade for a particular class, but can even help you figure out what you want to do with your life. The countless conversations I had with professors at the English Department really steered me on to my current path, pursuing a career in academia.

3. Get involved in an organization or club on campus. This might seem like a drag especially when you’re trying to juggle multiple courses with a complicated work schedule, but it is really the best way to make new friends and discover interests in a field or area you never even thought could be cool.

4. Study abroad– I know that many students are often struggling to pay rent and buy textbooks, but studying abroad is definitely worth saving up for. My experiences abroad in London and China were perhaps some of the best times of my undergraduate career and I really think that as undergrads, this is the best time to travel before you get bogged down by “real” work or graduate school. It is a chance for you to leave home and see the world because interacting with people in different countries and cultures really changes your perspective of New York and even the way you perceive yourself… Perhaps not always in the best way, but it does open your eyes ^^

5. Have fun and make the most of your undergraduate experience. I won’t lie and say that I don’t have any regrets about the last four years because I do and many of them involve the trade-off I made between studying and enjoying my time at QC… I think the most difficult part of the journey is establishing a perfect balance between the two, which I haven’t figured out yet, but maybe you can

Anyway, I am sure that I have forgotten a few “words of wisdom” because I have definitely learned a lot more than what is listed here, but these are the first few thoughts that came to mind when I started writing this post… Hopefully this  will help some of you new freshies or transfers navigate your years at QC