Wiser with Age: What Seniors Wish they knew as Freshmen

Seniors reflect on what advice they would give themselves

Isabella Sanchez / Assistant Arts and Culture Editor / The USD Vista

The infamous saying goes: “hindsight is a wonderful thing.” The ability to delve into the past and realize something about an event after it happened saves many from the humiliation of repeating the same stubborn mistakes. Most importantly, hindsight acts as a helping hand in providing important life lessons and tokens of knowledge that will last a lifetime. 

Four years of college flies by awfully fast, and the realization that we live and learn becomes apparent as the countdown to graduation nears. 

Now, at the final stretch of their college careers, seniors have the ability to look back and appreciate their personal growth.

They think back to their bright-eyed and innocent freshmen selves and reflect on what they wish they had known, leaving all underclassmen with some precious tokens of advice (might want to take some notes, just saying).

For these USD seniors, hindsight turned into insight.

Emily Shepard

For Shepard, she expected to have everything figured out her freshman year like everyone else. 

As a typical new student navigating a new environment, worries of not having enough friends, finding her home on campus, and her academics plagued her. 

“If I could tell my freshman self just to be kind to myself and let things happen the way they are supposed to be, then everything would’ve been so much easier,” Shepard shared. 

“If I miss going out on a Saturday night, I don’t need to feel left out, there’s always next week. If I need to take a mental health break or catch up on sleep that’s ok. Be kind to yourself!”

Jake Ryan

For Ryan, the advice is simple. 

“Please refrain from being the one to put your debit card up when you go out for a large group dinner,” Ryan said. “Even when everyone convinces you they will venmo you time and time again. Trust me, they won’t.” 

Maybe “forget” the debit card at home next time.

Dot Adedigba

It’s all about cultivating and appreciating one’s tribe for Adedigba. 

“Cherish your friendships and remind the people you love that you love them,” Adedigba said. “College can be hard, and creating that environment and safe space for yourself where you feel supported and loved is so important.” 

Don’t forget to take it easy whenever the going gets tough. Prioritizing self-care during these difficult moments can make all the difference.

Matt Koebel

Koebel believes in the importance of balancing work and play.

“I would say try and find a balance between school and social life,” Koebel said. 

“Having that balance makes college less stressful and more enjoyable when you don’t have to worry about one or the other consuming more of your free time.” 

When it comes to prioritizing that balance, things can get tricky. However, Koebel has a solution to ease the difficulty. 

“Get in a routine first and figure out what works for yourself.  Also, try and stay on top of school work being productive so you can have more fun doing things you love outside of the classroom,” Koebel suggested.

Maddie Oppeltz

For Oppeltz, everyone is on their own journey at their own pace. 

“Don’t put pressure on yourself to have a perfect college experience every single day,” Oppeltz said. “Because everyone’s experience is different and that’s okay. You just have to figure out what works for you and don’t be afraid to stick with that.” 

Matthew Soares

Only concerned with maintaining a spotless GPA, Soares’ freshman self wanted to make sure that he will snag the best job opportunities when he will graduate. 

It was because of this, that he missed out on various campus events, club activities, and other social events. While other students were off to the beach, Soares was nose-deep in his studies. 

While it is important to make sure one is prepared for the future, it is also equally important to spend time away from academics. 

“If I could give myself any advice as a freshman, I would tell myself to not make excuses to get out of trying new things and to have fun because you only do college once,” Soares said. 

This list of meaningful advice could be beneficial to any student in their college journey, regardless of whether they are new to USD, or whether they are in their second or third year.  At the end of the day, everyone is trying to do their best in and outside of school. USD is a place where everyone can succeed, even when it feels like a constant climb up those dreaded Valley stairs. For seniors, it’s both bittersweet and exciting to be departing this campus a college graduate. For those who have more time on this beautiful hill, it’s crucial they make the most of every moment, good or bad. 

It’s the trials and tribulations that define these special four years. 

So, make the most of everything: go to office hours, spend that $15 on the Greek station, join as many clubs as possible, try out that random class that sounds interesting during registration, go to extracurricular events, take advantage of anything free on campus, work on your homework in the library instead of a coffee shop, attend sports games, make that run from Maher to Shiley and back with a smile, try everything and anything before it’s too late. Because although hindsight is a wonderful thing, foresight is even better.