In honor of there being only 3 weeks until graduation, members of Centenary’s 2023 graduating class offer some advice for other students. Do with them what you will:

1. Find the perfect spot in the library to study and then guard it with your life.

• Remi Miller, Political Science major

1. Work some break time into your schedule. It’s easy to forget that you need water and rest to be a functioning human being. It’ll help you, not hinder you to take a couple breathers during the day!

• Jan Gary, Studio Art major

1. The friendships you make freshman year may not be the same senior year. That’s perfectly ok and natural. 

• Anonymous, Music major

1. Be nice to the staff - janitorial team, caf people, etc - they are the true backbone of Centenary and see/hear EVERYTHING!!

• Miss Smith, English major

1. Take the time to read and understand your academic catalog! Seriously, there are so many opportunities and possibilities that exist and await you, but you may never know and miss out on them. Also, please do not be afraid to ask questions! If there’s something that you want or are curious about, be brave and reach out across campus! The worst that anyone could ever say is no! Finally, enjoy these moments of your life. Really try to embrace and appreciate them. You’re surrounded by people who actually care about you, and are in an environment that pushes you to your best and forgives you at your worst. Take chances, make memories, and maximize your time here at Centenary. Accomplish, achieve, laugh, cry, and leave our campus without any regrets or reservations.

• Jonathan Okereke, Biology and Neuroscience dual degree

1. No one cares what you did in high school – what grades you made, what you were involved in etc. If you continue to make your high school experience your whole personality trait, you’re in for a surprise in college.

• Anonymous, Psychology major

1. Enjoy the little things because you really will miss small things once they're gone!

• Cassie Halford, Biochemistry and Neuroscience double major

1. No relationship (especially with a boy) is ever worth you second guessing yourself and your goals. If you’re putting in all this work to graduate, no one should come between you and getting that degree – definitely not your partners. You’re too good for them anyways.

• Anonymous, Chemistry major

1. Don’t go down Roach Valley after dark. If you by some chance do (poor soul), walk fast – but not too fast – don’t look down, and ignore any crunching that may happen.

• Taylor Deville, Communications major

1. Support the Arts!

• Anonymous, Theatre major

1. Support your athletics!

• Patience Bates, Communications major

1. Support the student medias!!!

• Anonymous, English major

1. There will come a time in your first semester when you think you’re done cooking. You are not done cooking. You will never be done cooking

• Phoebe Cragon, English major

Editor Note: cooking here is not used literally. In this context, cooking means maturing

1. Learn how to cook. The caf can only be good for a certain time period and your Cent Bucks can only last for so long. And you should just learn how to cook – you need basic skills to be an adult.

• Collier Cloinger, Business and History double major

Editor Note: cooking here is used literally. Please learn how to cook

1. In the great words of Beyonce: “Look up, don’t look down and watch the answers unfold. Life is your birthright – they hid that in the fine print. Take the pen and rewrite it.”

• Markiese Boykin, Sociology and Kinesiology double major

1. Try to take time for yourself. Things can easily get too overwhelming, so it’s important to make sure you’re doing okay mentally, emotionally, and physically. Even if it’s just going outside and sitting on the caf deck for a few minutes can help a lot in the long run. There are people on this campus that genuinely care for you and want the best for you. Lean on them whenever you need to. 

• Rachel Helm, History major

1. Find ways to have fun whenever possible, college can be a lot of work but it’s important to enjoy the process.

• Kyle Comi, Communications major

1. Don’t try to bring one of the campus cats in as your new pet. A lot of them tolerate students from far away and don’t want to be anywhere near you.

• Anonymous, Biology major

1. What I am living by right now is the quote “You should live to work and not work to live.” Make sure to follow your passion and do what you love.

• James Harris, Music major

1. It’s literally all an act – no one actually knows what’s going on. If you act like you know what’s up, you’ll get farther than you think. Even some of the professors have no idea what they’re doing. It’s all about how you act in certain situations.

• Taylor Mayo, Biochemistry major

1. Even though almost every Centenary student thrives on being too involved, know your limits and establish firm boundaries. The earlier you do this the better.

• Anonymous, Political Science major

1. Be aware of the resources you can get to – both through the classroom and online…

• Kile Mingo, Business Administration major

1. As cheesy and repetitive as it may be, your time in college really can (and will) slip by so fast. One day you’re setting off for Paris and the next it’s 3 weeks until you’re finally done with Centenary. You will meet all kinds of people – some you consider family and others your mortal enemy – and they will change you in some way. You’ve gone from being involved in nothing to being in way too much (like Editor-in-Chief of a batshit crazy newspaper) and you, for as much as you complain, you love every second of it. You’ll become someone more aware of themselves and the world without you realizing it. You will have characteristics and skills that define who you are, many of them you won’t be quite sure how and when you possessed them. You’ll actually be ready for the big adult world (despite how scary it may be) once you graduate. And for as much as you complain about Centenary and say you’re never coming back, there’s going to be a small (sometimes miniscule) part of you that stays forever grateful you came here. 

Also, whenever the caf serves peach cobbler, do yourself a favor and get it. It’s heavenly.

• Emilie Adams, English and Communications dual degree

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