1 Thing I Learned EACH Year of College
It's hard to believe it’s been four years since my first day at Vanderbilt (though it feels like just yesterday I was a freshman in my first-year writing seminar).
As many of you are gearing up for college (or thinking about college), I wanted to share something I learned each year...you would be surprised how parallel the high school and college experiences can be:
Freshman Year: It takes time to adjust—being yourself makes it quicker.
Starting at Vanderbilt during COVID wasn’t easy. It took me a while to find the right friends and communities. To say I loved it from the start would be a lie. But staying true to myself helped me find the people I wanted to be around. Being authentic and unique will never steer you wrong. Just like your freshman year of high school, when you were finding your way in a new environment, college is a fresh start where being true to who you are will help you find your place.
Sophomore Year: Have fun, but start thinking ahead.
While I was living my life in bliss, my friends were applying for internships and doing pre-professional workshops. Start thinking about what you might want to do post-grad. This sounds crazy, but securing a good internship that can get you a great one at the end of your junior year will help you so much. Much like sophomore year of high school, you should start thinking about colleges and the courses you can take to set yourself up for success. This is a time to enjoy but also plan ahead for the future.
Junior Year: Growth comes from being uncomfortable.
Studying abroad and traveling put me in unfamiliar and uncomfortable situations. But that’s where I learned resilience, adaptability, and how to be comfortable with myself. It’s an invaluable experience. For high school juniors, when the pressure is on with tougher classes and preparing for standardized tests, these challenges push you to grow in ways you never imagined.
Senior Year: Life moves fast—enjoy every moment.
Coming from a nostalgic post-grad, my four years of college flew by - just as my years of high school, middle school, and so on did. Life moves quickly...enjoy the moment. As with senior year of high school, when everything seemed to happen at once, prom, graduation, final goodbyes - college wraps up just as fast. Savor every experience because it’ll be over before you know it.
Best of luck,
Melina Kazanas
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