Illustration by A.J. Garces
Take down those incriminating Friendster (or others like it) photos and quotes. Or better yet, don't put them up in the first place. Employers and admissions committees Google now. Heaven forbid you should ever want to apply for some sort of security clearance. . . . Craigslist is a gold mine for slightly or heavily used furniture, as well as slightly musty basement apartments or lofts. You'll need these things, and you'll need them cheaply. . . . Work part time in grad school. It keeps you busy, expands your circle of acquaintances for networking (or perhaps friends for socializing), and helps to pay the bills, lowering your debt load later.
Mason Smith '04Information systems intern/International Franchise Association Graduate student in computer science George Washington University Washington, D.C.When Career Services says that your alumni network and alumni directory are the most powerful engine to do a SUCCESSFUL job search, believe them. They're RIGHT. After four months of a very unsuccessful job search in the San Diego area, I finally found a job through one of the handful of Colby alumni who live in this area. It is really hard to just send a resume and a cover letter and actually land a job without any personal connection.
Ivan Mihajlov '05 Staff research associate, University of California at San Diego Immunology Lab-School of MedicineThe harder you work, the luckier you get. Everyone should be aware of this rule of life and put it to the test for themselves to see what opportunities open up for them.
Matthew Koontz '02 Assistant account manager Arnold Worldwide [Advertising] Agency Boston, Mass.Most important piece of information: it doesn't matter what your major is, just make sure they know you went
to Colby.
Michael Kershaw '05
Sales assistant
Guardian Investor Services LLC
Brockton, Mass.
Enjoy it all while you can, take as many classes that interest you as possible, and go abroad as often as you can. Colby gives that opportunity and it should be taken advantage of!
Angelika Makkas '01 Administrative assistant MIT/Sloan International Programs Cambridge, Mass.Now that I'm working 50-60 hour weeks, I appreciate so much the lifestyle and schedule that the Hill allows you to have. You have much to do, sure, but you have a great deal of freedom in how and when you do it. I wished someone had let me know to soak up and appreciate the kind of life one can lead at Colby.
Nat Chamberlin '03 Director of annual giving Noble and Greenough School, Dedham, Mass.I always said that I would NEVER have a job that required me to work crazy hours. Once I found a job that I loved, though, I realized that when you like what you're doing you don't notice the hours. A good employer can trick you into thinking that working full-time plus nights and weekends is fun! I also learned that enjoying the company of your colleagues goes a long way.
Annie Hall '03 Assistant director of admissions, Babson College Somerville, Mass.
I really wish I had known what sadness I would face upon leaving college life. What withdrawal! There is no other time in your life when you will be surrounded by friends, eating whatever food you want without having to prepare it yourself, and going to parties It really was a letdown when I realized life would never be same. I would suggest students brace themselves.
Katie Lazdowski '02
French teacherBoston Collegiate Charter School,
Dorchester, Mass.
There are important non-academic skills to develop in college, like time management, interpersonal communication, and how to live a happy life. You may not have been taught these skills growing up, and they probably won't be on any test, so be aware of them and find ways to develop them whether it's talking to friends, spending time with a therapist, or challenging yourself to think beyond your classes.
Seth Eckstein '01
Former Mandarin teacher
Academy of the Pacific Rim
Roslindale, Mass.
I've been ignoring the concept of the "real world,— ignoring the concept of a "real job,— and, as I hoped, it's been rad. I don't have any real advice. I just know there may possibly be a more fulfilling way to go through life than following a set career path. Your own experiences will inform you better than any advice.—
Chatham Baker '02
Owner/operator WIZE design and head coach Sun Valley Snowboard Team
Sun Valley, Idaho
If you really love something that you study at Colby, keep loving it after you leave. Nobody is going to make your Colby education relevant to what you do when you leave school but you. Also, take advantage of the free stuff. Okay, so obviously most parents of Colby students, past or present, may take issue with my use of the word free here, but I'm going to go ahead and use it anyway. Never again in your life will you have free access to a gym, ice rink, library, greenhouse, food, experts in many fields, entertainment, or Internet. When you leave school you pay for everything.
Chris Hale '02
Project coordinator, The Carter Center
Atlanta, Ga.
I took American Dreams [American Studies 378] my senior year and fell in love with documenting real people with real emotions. After spending 2 1/2 years producing and photographing the news at WABI in Bangor, Maine, I moved on to "The Real World,— where I am a camera operator for Bunim/Murray Productions. My job has taken me all around the world, through several treacherous hurricanes and brown-recluse spider bites—and I wouldn't trade any of it for anything. So yes, undergrad students, don't be afraid to take a chance on something you might enjoy, it could turn out to be an amazing career.
Daniel Martin '01
Key West, Fla.
