{"id":13274,"date":"2021-04-29T15:29:40","date_gmt":"2021-04-29T20:29:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.morningside.edu\/thecr\/?p=13274"},"modified":"2021-10-24T21:05:13","modified_gmt":"2021-10-25T02:05:13","slug":"a-professors-advice-to-a-graduating-senior","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.morningside.edu\/thecr\/archives\/13274","title":{"rendered":"A Professor\u2019s Advice to a Graduating Senior"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by Abby Koch-<\/strong>As the year is winding down, final projects are being turned in and the last events of the year at Morningside College act as benchmarks before finals. It is now a countdown until the Class of 2021 walks across the stage to collect their degree at graduation. Graduating seniors eagerly look at their collection of cords, the mortar board, and gown that they will soon wear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The end of a chapter and the opening of a new one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For some seniors, they are going into the workforce in a variety of different fields. For others, they are continuing on in their academic careers in graduate school to earn their masters or doctorates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

No matter what type of step graduating seniors are heading into, it can be nerve-racking. A chapter where seniors learn a brand-new environment, become friends and colleagues with new people, and learning how to do daily ritual tasks like making three meals a day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professors were once in same shoes before graduating undergraduate school. They had their own fears and were uncertain about adulting after college. Their own journeys after college has taught Morningside professors lessons about life and being independent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Collegian Reporter reached out to faculty to share pieces of advice and their college photos to the class of 2021. Here is what they had to say and show:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Shannon Claxton <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Shannon Claxton (Professor of Psychology):<\/strong> \u201cMost career paths are full of twists and turns. Job changes (and even career changes) are typical, so don’t be afraid to say yes to an exciting opportunity just because it wasn’t what you had originally planned.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mitch Keller (Professor of Mathematics):<\/strong> \u201cAsk family members for the recipes for a couple of your favorite dishes that they make, and work on learning to cook them. Your first attempts might not be as good as the original, but they’ll still make you feel great.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greg Guelcher (Professor of History):<\/strong> \u201cMy advice to graduating seniors would be to take some time off to travel before you start a full-time job or career. If Sioux City is your idea of a major metropolis, it\u2019s time to hit the road! Yes, I know travel is somewhat complicated due to the pandemic. However, places are slowly opening up again, and travel, especially international travel, is perhaps the best way to put your new, college-educated self to the test. They say travel \u201cbroadens the mind,\u201d and it does. I spent my Junior year at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and then left for three years of teaching English in Japan right after graduation. What I found most surprising is that international travel, because it pushed me out of my comfort zone, taught me as much about myself as it did about the places I visited and the people I met. The challenges of life overseas especially made me take stock of my strengths and weaknesses and assess my skills and dispositions. I learned that I really enjoyed teaching! Moreover, the time spent in Japan allowed me to adequately recharge before starting the rigors of graduate school. Travel: it\u2019s a great way to expand one\u2019s horizons and discover oneself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n