To the Class of 2022
Last weekend, many in the class of 2022 donned their caps and gowns and sashayed across a stage, marking their transition from student to regular person. Each graduating class steps out into a slightly different world than did the class preceding them. This is, of course, only natural—as Heraclitus famously said, “change is the only constant in life”—but even so, the class of 2022 has had to persevere through some unique difficulties. In light of that, the EduCred Services Team wanted to, first, congratulate the tenacious class of 2022, and second, offer some pieces of advice that we wish someone had shared with us.
To the class of 2022:
Buy a printer.
A printer is one of those things that you only need once in a while, but when you realize you urgently need to print something, it will be 3am on a Wednesday and every library and print shop will be closed. Guaranteed. College campuses are a magical place where computers, coffee, and printers are always around—it’s a cozy cocoon where every desk has a stapler, and the toner never ends. The outside world is far less printer-filled. Hear me now, believe me later: you need a printer.
Start a Roth IRA.
We know that this may not be exciting advice, but the best time to start a Roth IRA is now! (Insert Spaceballs joke here, and if you haven’t watched Spaceballs, do that now). Take advantage of your youth (no matter how old you are) and give that compounding interest you heard about in your first-year math course a chance to do its thing. Consistently saving small amounts here and there will accumulate and grow tax-free for decades, and you will feel good knowing that you have already started taking steps towards a financially secure retirement because life comes at you fast.
Try your hand at cooking.
Perhaps you lived on or near campus where takeout options were plentiful or you went to school online, but your evenings were dedicated to studying. Either way, now is the perfect time to add at least one home cooked meal to your weekly routine. Think cooking is boring? There has never been a greater time to find inspiration online, through social media, or on all the cooking shows (Check out the Gusto channel if you have a Samsung tv—it just may change your culinary life). Your wallet will thank you and, if you’re lucky, it will turn from a chore and into an incredibly fulfilling hobby.
Trust your gut.
You’ve made it through a (hopefully) rewarding and (probably) challenging time in school by thinking and making decisions for yourself. Build on that. At the end of the day, you are both the most important person you have to answer to and the most important resource you have at your disposal. If you go in for a job interview, and something about the workplace seems ‘off’ to you, listen to that feeling. If an opportunity you had never considered comes your way and it feels exciting to you, consider it. Your intuition is powerful; don’t stifle it.
Integrity means something.
With the rise in popularity of various streaming networks, we can peak into the lives of billionaires, notorious white-collar crimes, and celebrity drama. It is easy to overlook the hard work and only imagine replicating the success. While it rarely makes the front-page news, what you say and then deliver on matters. People will rely on you both in the workplace and in your personal life. Building trust takes time but destroying it can happen in seconds.
Give yourself permission to fail.
You are your harshest critic. We are all human and will fail at something or fail someone. The anguish you will feel is temporary, but if you give up, you will miss out on the triumph that accompanies success. When you make a mistake, even a big one, take responsibility, make amends, and then make it right. Learn from what went wrong or how you could have handled the situation better because that is how we grow and become a better person—when we don’t give up.
2020 and 2021 have taught us (forcibly, let’s be honest) to build resilience and the lessons we’ve learned during this time should inspire us to make the world, or at least our own little bit of it, a better place. That kind strength and vision combined is, in itself, a huge achievement. You’ve been uniquely prepared to make incredible contributions to this world. You might not have to take weekly quizzes anymore, but keep learning and looking for new opportunities because sometimes it comes down to luck and timing.
Congratulations, Class of 2022! Go do great things!