As a senior graduating in less than a month with so much work still incomplete and a non-existent social life, I have begun to reflect on my traditional four years at Hamline. I regret nothing. From the friends I’ve made to the major I have choosen, all have been of great success. If I impart any words of wisdom let them be this: trust your instincts.

That gut feeling telling you what to major in despite your head screaming that it may not result in viable financial options after graduation is far superior to the fiscal reasoning of the mind. If every class in a major appeals to you, pick it. Passion will lead you further than the practical. I came to this school with the intention of becoming an anthropology major. However, after my first semester I wanted to do biology, religion and philosophy. Everything was appealing.

Then spring semester came along and I was sitting in one of the classrooms in the GLC art gallery area. That is when Professor David Hudson walked in with the tweed jacket, elbow patches and classic glasses you’d expect a specialist in literature to sport. It was my first English class, “British Literature to 1769.” Hudson gave a speech on the first day with such nerdy enthusiasm. He expressed how the study of literature allowed a student to study practically everything including history, philosophy, religion, psychology, etc. To a student like me who wanted to study everything, this was the perfect thing to say. That was it. Encouraged by  the combination of an iconic professor look and the excited speech, I became an English major. There was no second guessing the decision. I trusted my gut extinct that day and it has taken me far.

However, I didn’t forget my love of philosophy after taking a course with Professor Brian Judd, who is no longer an adjunct here. Due to the large amount of philosophy course I was taking I added on the minor. I let my classes fall were they may to create the major and minor I will have when I graduate. My education at Hamline was nothing I expected. Before arriving here as a Piper, I saw myself digging and studying archaeology on some expedition. It was very romantic, and as I have come to learn, not my future. It all turned out so much better. Don’t let your idea of who you should be get in the way of who you are.

A major by no means locks you in for your future. The undergraduate degree is simply a stepping stone for the rest of your life. This is, what a dear friend and 2013 alum, Rebecca Brown, has told me. I can’t help but realize how right she is as I figure out what I’m going to do after my Piper phase. Sure, I am an English major with a concentration in Creative Writing, but by no means does that mean I have to become an English professor or a writer.

However, the future isn’t what is important right now. Looking back, there are certain things every Piper must do before they graduate to complete their undergraduate experience. Don’t join too many clubs and groups, and don’t add too many minors or majors.

To quote Ron Swanson, “Never half-ass two things; whole-ass one thing.”

This way ,you can put more of your energy towards and go way farther in your respective fields. I submerged myself in my major and have gained relationships with faculty and students that I will have to keep for a lifetime. I joined The Oracle, which has helped me get published as you can see from reading this very article.

There is a life outside of academics, no matter how hard that is for me to believe right now. Do not cut off your late night talks with fellow students, especially when getting philosophical, introspective or political. Utilizing your education with your peers is what going to college is all about. Perhaps you won’t get as much sleep as you originally planned, but the odds of finding people after graduation to engage in deep conversations inspired by study will probably become rarer as time wears on. You’re in a place where everyone is steeped in learning; indulge yourself in this and get your pretension out now.

Let your friends drag you to events and  new places. Don’t lock yourself in your room too much, especially in your first two years. It may not seem like you have time, however, as a junior and a senior you will laugh at your naive self as you realize the immense amount of time you actually had. So put yourself out there now, because these four years will be done before you know it. Trust me.