Graduating from college, moving away from home to a new city or state, and starting your career are all very overwhelming milestones in life, let alone when they occur simultaneously. Hopefully, a few of the pointers below can make the transition a little bit easier.
1. Make the most out of your time left at KU ·
I think this one goes without saying, but it is probably the most important advice I can give. Stay out late with your friends, visit all the quirky shops on mass, pick lots of tulips come spring, swim in the fountain…..You get the idea. Whatever it is you love about Lawrence, make sure to take full advantage of it because I promise one day you will miss it. Even that smelly couch in the ChemE lab and the dreadful campus hills.
2. When deciding what area to live in, live close to what makes you happy and commute to work ·
This is a piece of advice Lucy gave to me when moving to Houston. Abby and I work about an hour outside of Houston and were faced with the dilemma of living close to work or in the city. We decided to commute two hours daily but live in the heart of Houston where all the young people are and the fun is happening. We would both agree this is by far the best decision and enjoy being so close to everything.
3. Keep an open mind ·
I struggled with this one a lot when first moving to Houston. I wasn’t ready to accept that the best four years (or so I thought) of my life were over. I already had great friends back at KU, I didn’t really want to find new ones. I thought people in Texas were weird (see picture above), and talked about guns too much, and so on. Bottom line is the next chapter of your life will be very different from college. Embrace it for what it is and just because everything is drastically changing, doesn’t mean it is not for the best.
4. Find your local KU Alumni Chapter ·
Most big cities have an active KU Alumni Chapter. This is a great way to start making friends and stay connected to the University.
5. Realize there is going to be a learning curve ·
Once assigned your first projects and assignments you might feel overwhelmed and unprepared. Take a deep breath and be patient. They don’t expect you to know how to solve all of the problems on your first day.
6. Get a membership to AAA ·
I was shocked when I found out my 99 Honda Civic wasn’t invincible. Life will be much easier and less stressful if you have your handy dandy AAA card in your pocket for life’s unexpected breakdowns. P.S. If you move to Houston, don’t leave your broken down car on the side of the road. It will disappear.
7. Go home for homecoming! ·
One of my favorite events of the year is the SELF Alumni gathering on Homecoming weekend. Be there or be square.
Thank you for listening to my random rants. One last piece of advice would be to take more random classes at KU. When else can you justify spending your time learning about Broadway Musicals, or mastering the art of bowling.
Have a great weekend!!
Kelly Lohmeyer