5 Pieces of Advice for College Students

As someone who is 2 years out of school, I wanted to share some advice!

Rejection can be redirection 

I always considered myself to be a dancer, as I grew up learning bharatanatyam, kathak, and bollywood fusion dance. Then I didn’t make it on a South Asian dance team after trying out for two different teams two years in a row. However, my sophomore year I got the opportunity to emcee one of the dance teams showcases, and it was such an awesome experience! I wouldn’t have been able to have that experience if I was dancing in the show, which shows how one closed door can lead to many more opening.

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door” - Milton Berle

The summer after freshman year of college, I had a lot of free time so I decided to start posting more consistently on my YouTube channel. Fast forward to sophomore year, I was interviewing for an internship and they asked me for a reel. Luckily, I was able to use a lot of content from my YouTube channel when putting this together. Little did I know that the work I was putting in back then would benefit me when applying for an opportunity in the future. 

Nothing is forever

Maintaining relationships as we grow older is tough. There might be situations or falling outs where it may seem like you’re never going to talk to someone again or hear from them again, and that will be really tough. However, life is long. With time and space, people may come back into your life if you want them to.

Take care of your mental health

College will be hard. You’ll be put in new situations, and if you’re ever not feeling well, don’t feel like you have to do it all alone. Figure out what resources are on your campus in terms of counseling and therapy. Journal, talk to your friends, your parents, or whoever makes you feel heard. Nothing is more important than protecting your mental peace.

Your presence matters

Sometimes you may not feel like going to class, attending a meeting, or going out. That’s OK. Protect your peace when you need a break. Don’t forget the power you do have when you do decide to show up somewhere, because your participation could be the reason your professor's job becomes a littler easier, or the reason someone feels less alone because you engage them in conversation at a meeting or social event. Please never forget the power of you. You being in whatever room you decided to show up in can make a difference.