Sunday column: Advice for new grads

To the Tech class of 2008

This morning, hundreds of brand new Louisiana Tech graduates are experiencing what it feels like to be a college student no longer.
They are now officially full-fledged members of The Real World.
Then again, it probably hasn’t quite sunk in yet.
But it will.
In my experience, this is a gradual process that has moments of pain but also moments of sheer joy.
Nothing about college life really can prepare you for life in The Real World, and everyone’s post-graduate experiences differ wildly.
But I’d like to share my top eight pieces of advice, based on my experience, for those brand new class of 2008 Louisiana Tech alumni who are waking up today with a world of possibilities before them.

1. Trust yourself.
My whole life, I’ve felt very aware of other people’s expectations. It was a scary moment for me when I finally admitted to myself that I didn’t think I wanted to work at a newspaper after I graduated with a BA in journalism. The expectation was that I would immediately go to work at a newspaper. When that opportunity presented itself, I turned it down and raised eyebrows across the Tech journalism department. No one understood why I did that, but I knew it wasn’t the right move for me at that time. I trusted my gut feeling that I needed to do something else, and I wouldn’t be persuaded otherwise. Eventually I did return to the newspaper industry, but it was when the time was right for me.

2. Take risks.
I know the word “risk” is relative. Things in my life that I consider risks probably wouldn’t be for lots of other people. But whatever your definition of “risk” is, consider it a possibility. By nature, I am not a risk-taking kind of girl. So, when I quit a full-time job to accept a full-time, unpaid internship in a city where I couldn’t afford housing, to me that was a mighty big risk. But I had fun and learned a lot, and everything worked out.

3. Don’t be cocky.
I know how it feels to be a graduating senior at a university. You’ve paid your dues, you see the light at the end of the tunnel, you’re ready to show the world how great you are. But don’t get carried away. As soon as you step a toe into your first professional job, you’re like a high school freshman all over again. At least for a little while. Keep your mouth shut, your head down and your eyes wide open. Give yourself a few weeks to see how the place operates and who the power players are before you start getting comfortable. And even then, don’t get too comfortable.

4. Enjoy your first paycheck.
Even if, as in my case, it’s small. Cherish the moment that first direct deposit hits your bank account and savor the feeling of being a professional and doing the work you trained so long to do.

5. Realize it’s never too late to do something different.
If the working world in your chosen field isn’t floating your boat like you hoped it would, don’t resign yourself to a lifetime of misery. Do something new. Helping my husband get back into school so he can make a career change has made me realize that it isn’t as impossible as I once thought it was. People do it all the time, and many times they’re happier because of it.

6. Save for retirement.
I know, you haven’t even started working yet and you’re already supposed to be planning for retirement? Yes. It will benefit you in the long run, I promise. Saving a little bit every paycheck will prevent you from having to fork over a ton of money as you get closer to retirement age.

7. Learn to like coffee.
I know many college students have this one down already, but many don’t. I wasn’t much of a coffee drinker in college, but when I started having to get up, get ready (and I’m talking really get ready, not just throw on a pair of jeans with flip-flops) and drive to work on time, five days a week, I started liking coffee.

8. Support your alma mater.
I was lucky enough to be awarded several scholarships from Louisiana Tech throughout the course of my college career. Because of them, in addition to my TOPS, I didn’t have to take out any loans to pay for school. I’m especially grateful for that now that we’ve become indebted to good old Sallie Mae for my husband’s tuition. So I try to give back to Tech what I can. Even a little bit helps, and it will make you feel good to know you’re helping out the university that invested in you for the past four years.