Column: Writing from home

04/29/09 - Sure, the squirrels have nearly run over my feet several times. I've locked myself out of dorm rooms, lost my student ID nearly seven times and thought I could survive a rainy day with too-long pants and flip-flops (Hint: You cannot.) But with all the chagrin the past four years at the University of Rhode Island may have brought me, I am still that cheesy, vomit-inducing romantic that will look fondly back on these years.

They say high school flies by, but I still remember being a sleepy little freshman sitting in Professor John Pantalone's URI 101 class, across the room from people who would become some of my best friends, wondering how the hell I would get through the next four years.

Of course, now I'm sitting here wondering where the past four years went. And as I sit, less than 20 days to commencement, I feel it only necessary to reminisce through my favorite forté: writing. So here's what I think you should know, and do, before you're in the same boat. ...er ... chair, as me.



1. Find something you love.



I'm serious. I've known my game plan since I was 13-years-old flipping through American Girl Magazine, but not everyone finds their passions right away. It took me until junior year to solidify what I want to spend my life writing about, and without my years here, I never would have realized it. And if someone tries to deter you...



2. Don't let the bad guys bring you down.



Or the bad girls, to each his or her own. A friend said to me recently not to let anyone tell me that I can't do something, because I could (short of acquiring Harry Potter-like powers, I suppose.) He adamantly slammed his hand down on the table when I told him maybe I wouldn't achieve my goals and asked: "Why not?"

I urge each of you to harness that same mentality, and to press on, even when you want to give up. And if you do fail...



3. Sometimes failures lead to opportunities.



Don't think of it as a failure. You know that saying? "When one door closes, another one opens?" Maybe I'm just too big of a fan of one-liners, but I agree. So you tried out kickboxing and it didn't quite work out? Can't string together a sentence, but managed to tutor your buddy in calculus? Look at your strengths, and work on your weaknesses. Always make yourself a better person - you'll benefit in the long run. And when the going gets tough...



4. Make everlasting friendships.



In high school, I grew apart from a few close friends. But if someone goes away, then the friendship never truly existed. I still talk to my four favorites from high school on a regular basis. Though college is a crazy, wild ride, please don't forget the people who came before.

And while you're here, take the extra hour to sit with your friend over coffee or knock on the door with a DVD. Make those friendships that need only a glance and a knowing look to send the two of you into fits of giggles ... and make other people scratch their heads in confusion. Lie on the Quadrangle and use your textbooks as pillows while you make plans that you better freakin' keep. And while you're at it...



5. Make somewhere your second home.



Whether it's an organization's office, an academic building or a friend's residence, make something else a part of your life. I probably spend more time in this Cigar office than I do my own home, minus sleeping (and even then, it's a tough call.) But I wouldn't give it up for a minute. I know every stupid quirk about this place, and I would encourage you to find your niche, your "place" on or off of this campus, and make it your own.



Develop your own rules and live your own life. But above all, make URI the best damn four years of your life. Excel in academia, in lasting friendships and in pursuing your career.

Three words: Live. Laugh. Love.

OK, enough with the clichés. Take it easy, Rhode Island.