It’s so weird that I’m graduating from college in two weeks. I know you hear every senior say it, but you can’t recognize the feeling until you’ve experienced it. Lately, I’ve been feeling really emotional, like I could cry at any second. I’ll walk by Dallas Hall and get a lump in my throat. Dallas Hall at night is the prettiest sight on campus. Or I’ll see a friend that is moving away after graduation and a sad smile will appear on my face as I think about fun memories and the fact that I might not see them again. My time at SMU has shaped me into the soon-to-be professional I am now.

It’s remarkable how much one person can change in just four short years. If you would have told me in high school about the people I would meet and the things I would accomplish at SMU, I would have laughed in your face.

Freshman year, the only thing I worried about was what theme party I was going to that night. I joined a sorority and made tons of friends. Sophomore year, I grew up a little bit when I went through some rough family situations. I lived in the Panhellenic House, which created bonds with a couple of girls I never thought I’d be friends with. They helped me get through the tough times. Junior year, I got an apartment with a random girl from my pledge class. That random girl turned out to be one of the most incredible women I’ve ever met. Now she’s engaged, and I’m a bridesmaid in her wedding. If I hadn’t lived with her, she and I would never have become so close. Now, here it is my senior year, which has been the best year in my entire life. Never can I recall feeling so truly happy. I have the most fantastic roommate and best friend in the world and an incredible boyfriend, both of whom bring constant joy to my life.

As a senior, my main worry is about starting my job and how my life is going to change post-graduation. I won’t be able to lie out by the pool for hours on a sunny day. I’ll be behind a desk in a skyscraper downtown, recruiting for a law firm.

But I’m not sad about it. It will be different, but I’m excited to begin a new life that will truly be my own. I think it will be thrilling to have a paycheck that’s more than the peanuts I get here at The Daily Campus.

Now, here it comes-the time where I give all you youngin’s advice for your future years here at SMU. It’s probably the same stuff you hear from every senior or recent graduate, but I have to say it. So just stick with me because you might learn something here.

1. Take a class from Craig Flournoy in the journalism department. He is the most brilliant mind on this campus. He’s not as scary as he thinks he is, so don’t be intimidated. I loved his History of Journalism class more than any other class. I compare every professor to him; he’s on a pedestal to me.

2. Take a class you know nothing about. I took Archaeology my junior year from Dr. David Friedel. I signed up for it just to get my CF credit, and I was dreading my first day because I thought it would be really boring. I was thoroughly surprised later in the semester when I actually liked going to class and when I didn’t mind writing my 15-page research paper. Dr. Friedel is an extremely interesting and intelligent man. His class was one of my favorites I’ve taken here.

3. Study abroad. It doesn’t matter where you go or for how long, you just need to get out of this Dallas bubble. I went to London last summer with the communications department. It goes without saying that it was the best summer of my life. No trip will ever compare to your time abroad.

4. You don’t have to be Greek to have a good experience here. My roommate isn’t Greek, and she is one of the most fun, successful graduates I know. She has just as many friends as I do, and she got a great job without the Greek network behind her.

5. Don’t put scandalous pictures on Facebook. They will come back to haunt you one way or another. Every employer looks at your Facebook account before they even interview you. You don’t want to lose an opportunity because of questionable picture from three years ago.

The last thing I can tell you is to not worry about what tomorrow, next week or next year will bring you. Everything will fall into place exactly like it’s supposed to. Abraham Lincoln said, “The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time.”

About the writer:

Kate Murphy is a senior journalism major. She can be reached at [email protected].