We go to college to further our learning experience. We pick a major, we go to class, and we learn so we can find a job and use those skills that we learned in the real world. But what no one ever told us was that we were going to learn outside of the classroom too. We have experiences and we make mistakes and through those mistakes, we learn about ourselves and about life. As the class of 2013 prepares for their walk across the commencement stage, a few have shared the lessons they have learned in college that weren’t printed in the textbooks.
Brooke Holland is a senior and will be graduating in May with a degree in biology with a pre-professional concentration. Since the age of 15, Holland wanted to be a doctor. She was originally interested in obstetrics, and when she was 15, she got to witness a child birth.
“It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen,” she said. “[It] helped to solidify my dream of going to college for biology, heading to med school, and becoming a doctor.”
Holland arrived at UT as a freshman in August of 2009 as a biology pre-professional major. When she got to each class, and it came time to introduce herself, her response was the same.
“I’d say ‘Hi, I’m Brooke. I moved here from the Netherlands and I’m a Biology major who will one day be a doctor,’” Holland said.
Her introduction stayed the same for the remainder of her freshman year and into her sophomore year. As junior year came around the corner, Holland found herself meeting and interacting with her professors and realizing that a biology degree had a lot to offer, career wise, outside of being a doctor. Time went on and it became pertinent for Holland to decide exactly what it was she wanted to do after graduation.
After a few months of debating, it was decided. She wouldn’t go to medical school, she wouldn’t be a doctor, but she would go into research instead.
“I felt relief having finally made up my mind, but I also felt extremely anxious about telling my parents, relatives, and friends who had all heard and talked about, for years, how I would one day be a doctor,” Holland said.
She wrote her parents a letter explaining her decision. At the time they were living in Singapore and couldn’t just call to chat. Much to Holland’s surprise, they were fine with her choice.
Looking back on her choices, Holland realizes that it was the right move to make. After graduation, Holland will be moving to Scotland to earn her Masters of Research in Biomedical Sciences. She plans on working in a lab for some time and then possibly moving on to teaching at a collegiate level.
Her message to those still wondering what they want to do after they graduate is this: “If you aren’t happy with the way your future looks, or even with the way your present looks, sit down and figure out what needs to be different. It won’t change within minutes, hours, or even days, but once you start thinking about change one day you’ll wake up and realize you are right where you are meant to be.”
“It’s okay to change your mind,” Holland said. “No matter the seriousness of the decision.”
David Wistocki is also graduating in May and will be earning a degree in Accounting and Entrepreneurship. When thinking back on his college experience, Wistocki had three lessons to share with his fellow UT students.
His first lesson is to listen intently. Through networking and creating a likeability factor, Wistocki believes that success stems from taking the time to listen intensely and respond fully.
“I spent much of my first few years at UT forgetting to listen,” Wistocki said. “Had I decided to do so, I have no doubt I would have been further along in my career and life if I had taken the time to slow down and listen to not only the voices around me but the voice within me.”
His second lesson is to create a system to remember names. While this may not be as life altering or emotional as other life lessons, Wistocki believes that remembering someone’s name not only leaves a lasting impression, but also creates an impact on the relationship.
“There is nothing sweeter to a person’s ears than their own name,” he said.
Wistocki’s final lesson is his most personal: listen to your internal compass. He believes that everyone owes it to their life’s satisfaction to take the time to listen to themselves. Wistocki realized that someone who is close to you can have a large impact on your outlook.
“Had I taken the time to understand myself rather than letting another dictate my thoughts, I would undoubtedly be further in the pursuit of my life’s ultimate purpose,” he said.
Wistocki believes that everyone needs to find the point in their life where they notice themselves “with the most energy with minimal effort.”
“Only at that point which we determine how to attain our own personal satisfaction will we live out a life full of long-term happiness,” he said. “No one will ever be able to tell you what you should do with your life.
In north europe people think jews have a very strange face, especially the nose i s very bad-looking,kinda scythe-like they say, . They call it ” Ful nasa”. the word “ful” is pronounced like the english word “fuel”. i kind of feel sorry for them, but maybe its the testosterone.. i´ve heard it increases the tissues inside the nose, especially bone mass.
It´s intresting to note that the hebrew work “nasa” can mean both “to marry” and “to lift” and “to desire” among many other verbs..
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in northern europe people think jews have a very strange face, especially the nose is very bad-looking,kinda scythe-like they say, . They call it ” Ful nasa”. the word “ful” is pronounced like the english word “fuel”. i kind of feel sorry for them, but maybe its the testosterone.. i´ve heard it increases the tissues inside the nose, especially bone mass.
It´s intresting to note that the hebrew work “nasa” can mean both “to marry” and “to lift” and “to desire” among many other verbs..
scandinavians think jews have a very strange face, especially the nose is very bad-looking,kinda scythe-like they say, . They call it ” Ful nasa”. the word “ful” is pronounced like the english word “fuel”. i kind of feel sorry for them, but maybe its the testosterone.. i´ve heard it increases the tissues inside the nose, especially bone mass.
It´s intresting to note that the hebrew work “nasa” can mean both “to marry” and “to lift” and “to desire” among many other verbs..
In scandinavia people think jews have a very strange face, especially the nose is very bad-looking,kinda scythe-like they say, . They call it ” Ful nasa”. the word “ful” is pronounced like the english word “fuel”. i kind of feel sorry for them, but maybe its the testosterone.. i´ve heard it increases the tissues inside the nose, especially bone mass.
It´s intresting to note that the hebrew work “nasa” can mean both “to marry” and “to lift” and “to desire” among many other verbs..