By Laura Gorecki, MPA
 |
| Laura Gorecki (center) after the 2014 Spring Commencement. |
Graduation is such an
exciting time, but it is also very stressful, and a little sad. I am very
excited to move on to the next adventure in life, but I STILL do not know what
I am doing after graduation, and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at here and
I am sad to be leaving.
Now that the big day has finally arrived, I have been reflecting on all of
my experiences as a student at UT Dallas and within EPPS. The thing that stands out
the most is how much I have felt a part of a family, team, and community. All
of the professors have been very supportive, and my fellow students have been
great teammates and friends. It is exciting to hear my fellow students talking
to each other about their career searches and plans for the future, and I look
forward to hearing about where we all go from here. Even though it is a bit
scary to leave here and not know what is next, I feel encouraged that all of
the people I have gotten to know at UT Dallas are now on my team.
If I had any advice for
other students, it would be this: Get to know your professors. Put your best
effort into all of your assignments – not for the teacher or for the grade, but
for yourself. Engage with those around you and take advantage of campus events.
Say yes to opportunities as often as possible. Never go for the Easy A.
I came up with the
above list after contemplating what I would do differently and what I would do
the same if I were starting the college experience over again. One thing that
served me well was getting to know my professors. Before the start or shortly
after the start of each semester I went to see each of my professors during
their office hours. This helped me get to know them and feel more comfortable
participating in class discussions. It also helped them get to know me so they
know my interests in order to guide me along on projects and opportunities.
Overall, I found that if a professor knows what you are looking for they are
often willing and able to help you find it.
I also benefitted from
taking advantage of as many opportunities as possible to learn new things. I
treated every research paper as a chance to learn about something I wanted to
know more about, rather than just following the instructions and doing the
minimum. This approach helped me learn beyond the syllabus and to enjoy the
projects I worked on. I challenged myself to do my best work because I knew I
would use the knowledge in the future if it pertained to my interests. I also
never took a class I thought would be an Easy A or shied away from one that
sounded too hard, because I know that nothing worth doing is ever easy, and
because I am not just here for a degree, I’m here for the knowledge that comes
with it.
One thing I would do
differently is that I would be more engaged on campus. Students are a great resource
for collaboration, insight, and new ideas. As a commuter student, I spent
little time on campus outside of class, and I missed many experiences I may have
enjoyed. Students have opportunities to listen to many
great speakers, see artists of all kinds, and experience things that the public
may not have access too. I missed campus groups, clubs, and volunteer
opportunities. If I were re-doing college, I would do more of those things.
In short, be a part of
UT Dallas while you are here and it will become a part of you for life.
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