With most of the semester behind us and the finish line looming on the horizon, it’s a time for seniors to look back on all we’ve accomplished and look forward to the next chapters of our lives. Our graduating Career Assistants gave us their perspectives on Human Ecology, reflected on their time here, and gave advice for making the most of Cornell.
What’s one thing you’re going to take with you from Human Ecology into your next step?
“In the context of the professional and work worlds, really be respectful of other people’s time and make sure to follow through. Whether it’s interacting with people or meeting deadlines, you have to be mindful of other people’s time. It’s a good thing to take into the workplace.”
“Human Ecology has taught me to approach any questions from all angles. Being able to explore so many different topics has really helped me shape my interests.”
“The importance of listening to others. Within the college, we have the privilege of hearing from people of many different disciplines, and that makes us all more effective problem solvers. Human Ecology also puts a great emphasis on understanding the people you are trying to help before doing anything, which I will carry with me always.”
What’s something you wish you had done differently, a class you wish you had taken, or a piece of advice you’d like to give to underclassmen as you look back on your time at Cornell?
“Don’t take yourself (or life!) too seriously. I’m really glad I took the Asian Authors English class; I had been gearing up to take the bioethics course but this was the one semester it wasn’t offered. I was able to take the Asian Authors class by petition for approval for the humanities requirement, and it came at a really good time in my life! I have a greater appreciation for being open to different coursework and new experiences; it was kind of unexpected but it turned out to be for the best!”
“If it doesn’t feel like something academically or otherwise isn’t working out, maybe it’s for the best, because there will be something that comes along and works out”
“One thing that I wish I had done differently during my four years at Cornell is to have taken more ‘fun’ classes, or classes that intrigued me but were not necessarily part of my major. I remember when I visited Cornell during Cornell days my senior year of high school, and how almost everyone told me that being in Human Ecology was great, because it really gave you the freedom, in terms of credits, to take classes outside of Human Ecology and classes that were interesting to you. While I have now learned that that is something that student Ambassadors are taught to tell prospective students, I have also learned that it is very much a true statement. During my first three years at Cornell, I have always been so focused on taking classes that fulfilled my requirement, classes that I would do well in to boost my GPA, and classes that I thought would help me succeed in my career. While I took classes that fit all three of those requirements, I’ve recently realized that I didn’t do it “correctly.” As a senior right now, I finally started taking classes that I’m really interested in. But here’s the mistake, I found out that I was particularly interested in certain classes, and what is the most annoying, is that I will not have the chance to take more of these ‘fun’ classes to further deepen my knowledge in that field. If I had the chance to redo my four years at Cornell, it would really be to take one ‘fun’ or ‘different’ class per semester starting from freshman year. That way, I would have been able to determine my interests earlier on, and thus been able to further expand on them. By doing so, I really believe that I would have left Cornell as a much more rounded graduate. Don’t be so afraid that you will not finish your requirements, because in reality, you will. Don’t be afraid of stepping out of your comfort zone and to try something new, because you might regret it.”
“I wish I had scheduled my classes around to be able to study abroad. The Exchange Program through Human Ecology has amazing opportunities to go to different countries and receive Human Ecology credit! I would suggest that all students look into the different courses.”
One thing that I’m really going to miss about being in school is how many opportunities there are for learning! In the College of Human Ecology especially, I’ve been able to take so many courses outside of my major, which have informed how I think about people and the connectivity between disciplines. My mentality for the remainder of the semester is to learn as much as I can before I graduate! I want to finish strong and take all of the opportunities to challenge myself before the next chapter.
“Looking back, I truly don’t have any regrets. I got to try a lot of crazy things, joined (and quit) many different extracurriculars, and learned from all of them. While I wouldn’t change anything, my piece of advice for underclassmen is to not do too much! It is better to invest a lot of time in a few things that you truly care about rather than spread yourself too thin and not be able to invest the time, resources, and energy into the things you care about most.”