Since freshman year, I’ve been winging it at Kent State. I’ve randomly found nifty little places on and off campus through exploration with friends. I’ve made educated guesses on exams and (barely) passed. And I’ve flown by the seat of my pants when doing anything work-related, student media or otherwise.

Don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t have been able to do this intuitive learning if it weren’t for my experiences and classes at Kent State. And I’m not extraordinarily dull in class. I pay attention for the most part. I do have some self-motivation, if very little anymore.

It’s just funny to me that so many professors are telling us to “wing it.” I’ve been told by professors who want me (and everyone else at this school) to “just say yes” to succeed.

“If they ask you to do it, and you’re not entirely sure how to do it, say yes anyway.” That’s how to get a job. Manipulate your way as much as humanly possible to nail it, right? All right. Of course, you have to be smart about it. Most jobs for journalism kids ask if you have video, photo, editing skills. Yes, we learn some of that here, but nothing in-depth unless your focus is one of those three; therefore, since we have some training, we’ve been told to take our basic knowledge to a job interview, get said job and figure it out from there.

What’s my word of advice to get through school? Realize what’s important and beneficial to YOU at college, kick ass in that, and everything else gets the bare minimum of my attention. Your time here is about YOU, not how beneficial your work is to the school, or your friends or your family. Be a little selfish while you’re at Kent State. The focused choices you’ve made will get you that job.

We’re all going to guess the rest of our lives. You’re going to use the skills you’ve gained in your personal experiences, your education, your workplace, etc. and relate them to future workplaces, future relationships, family, all that good stuff. You can plan a bit, but do those plans ever work out exactly how you wanted them to? More often than not, the answer to that question is “nope.” You’re going to throw yourself at whoever will take you at a job, just to get your feet wet and hopefully move up that corporate ladder in life.

To quote a good friend of mine, “There are no promises after school.”

So, for a teary-eyed summary: take chances, realizing you may totally fail. Be open-minded when blazing your trail. You’ve obviously learned something here at Kent State, so use it. And just because you’ve graduated doesn’t mean you stop learning.

Contact Laura Lofgren at [email protected].