My Time at King's: Lindsay's Grad Reflection
I can’t believe four years have already gone by, which I’m sure every graduating student says. But this year has me reflecting on a lot. I’ve been thinking about what these four years have taught me, and while I have certainly learned a lot about Politics, History, and Economics, these past few years have been about more than that. As an ambassador something that I have been asked a lot is what advice I would give to a high school student, and I think being in my fourth year, I finally have an answer that I like. If I could wrap up my advice in one sentence it would be this: embrace change and surround yourself with people wherever you can.
In your first year of university, so much changes. The type of course work you’re doing changes, the expectations in classes change, if you move away from home you’re forced to learn how to live on your own all while balancing a social and school life, and so much more. It’s completely overwhelming at first. Change can be an overwhelming thing, but it can also be a really incredible thing. It can bring new friendships, new forms of knowledge, and as change happens you will become more resilient and learn how to overcome challenges. So I would say one of the best ways to approach change is to embrace it. Your first year is definitely going to be challenging; you will most likely stumble. But have grace for yourself and remember that you’re learning. Something that I’ve learned is that with external changes happening, you will also change. For me, one of the biggest changes I’ve faced in this past four years is a change in myself and where I want to be. Since my first year of university I was set on going straight into law school. But my experiences in the past four years at King’s have changed me and what I want to pursue. When I was faced with application deadlines for law school, I was forced to face the fact that I was no longer sure if that was the future I wanted. Since embracing the change in myself and my expectations, I have felt so much better. I no longer know exactly what I want, but that is a better feeling than forcing myself to go straight into school while feeling uncertain about it. Changes will always happen; I’ve learned it’s better to embrace it.
In addition to embracing change, I’ve learned that people make everything better. Change is a pretty scary thing, but the nice thing is you don’t have to experience it all alone. One of the greatest parts about being a student at King’s is the people. Everywhere you go, there are people who want to support you. Classes are so much better when you are willing to reach out to your professors and seek help when you need it. Even more than that, it’s great when you actually know your professors outside of the classroom. Experiencing the recent change in not knowing what I wanted for my future was so much easier when I sought out help from Witty Sandle, Career and Vocational Counsellor at the Centre for Career and Calling. Additionally, living in residence would not have been the same experience if I wasn’t willing to put myself out there and make friends. I now have friends that I made in my first year who have supported me throughout these past four years that I know I will be able to rely on for years and years to come. If you are coming to King’s, I can guarantee you it will be nearly impossible to avoid people that want to support you and in my opinion, it’s better to have people supporting you anyways.
If you are coming to King’s next year, you are going to experience a lot of change. You will probably feel overwhelmed at least once, but remember to seek help from the people around you and to seek new friendships. It will make these next few years of university all the better. Embrace the change and surround yourself with people wherever you can.
For the last time,
All the Best,
Lindsay