I’m not a role model. Well, I’ve never actually tried to be. For some reason though, I seem to be a friend that other friends turn to in sticky situations. I admit that I am great at giving advice, but horrible at taking my own.

Sadly, this is the last issue of the Washburn Review I get to be a part of, so I thought I’d put some of these tips for others to use throughout their college experience:

– This is the time to really find yourself. Yes, this sounds cheesy but I mean to really find YOU. This is a time of new possibilities. So follow your dream and not your parents’ dream, or your significant other’s.

– Don’t be afraid to speak your mind or to disagree. That being said, there is a way to disagree politely.

– Respect others’ beliefs, views and opinions. Listen to them; they may have something to say about a subject that you wouldn’t have came up with on your own.

– Challenge yourself. Don’t always take the easy way out. At the same time, don’t over do it. Can you really handle 19 credit hours or 13 credit hours and four jobs at once? I’ve done both. Yea, crazy I know.

– Always be honest. It’s that simple. 

– Go to class. Yes, even if it’s Friday and sleeping sounds better, it will always sound better. Just do it. Besides, if you’re already honest, you can occasionally get away with telling your professor you really were just too tired to make it to class and they’ll understand. 

– Be dependable. If you say you’re going to do something, follow through and make sure to do just that. 

– I believe in being humble, but you should know your worth. Be proud of the things you do and don’t let anyone hold you back. 

– Meet new people, especially those with the same interests or major. You never know, later down the line they might help you with landing an awesome internship (thanks Tricia Peterson).

– I’ve seen both sides of this, and yes some leggings can  pass for pants. Please use your best judgment.

– People will come and go, it’s a way of life. Don’t let those you care about go away just because you get busy. And if others fade away, let them. 

– Stop with excuses. You’re an adult now and you alone are responsible for your own actions.

– The real “American Horror Story” is trying to find a job after college. If you know someone who’s graduating, wish them luck. They’ll need it!

My time at the Review has been exciting, enlightening and even infuriating. I didn’t know that I could care about and yet resent something so much. I started as a writer, my first article even made the front page. I thought that was good for someone who couldn’t write and despised journalism at the time.

I didn’t really hate journalism, but the fact was I didn’t really like it either. I was consumed with it in high school. My freshman year, I took some time away from it. 

Sophomore year, I missed the writing, however, and it was the first thing I could think to do. I found that I had a passion for arts and entertainment. It was something that didn’t bore me, that I didn’t have to write in inverted pyramid and I loved getting to meet with artists to learn about their lives, along with their work, of course. My junior year, I landed the job of the A & E editor. I assigned content for my own section, trained writers and designed my pages. It was a lot of new work for me. Somehow, they didn’t kick me out. 

Here I am, in my last semester and yet I couldn’t stay away. Now, I help with anything I can. I design  multiple pages, do my best to copy edit and even submit the final versions of the pages, trying to make them a version of perfect I would never achieve.

I’ve learned so much in such a short time. I only hope that someday my knowledge will be as useful to others as theirs was for me. 

Ultimately, this is time that you can’t get back. Make the best of it, but remember why you’re here. Learn all that you can and meet everyone you can. Before you know it, you’ll be writing your last article and submitting the last pages of a paper that has tossed your emotions back and forth more than a ping pong ball in red solo cups. Thanks to everyone who got me here: You know who you are.