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By: Kennedy Bruce, MDS Class of 2014//MDS Musings Blog

Kennedy Bruce attends Georgia Southern University will graduate in December 2018 with a major in Public Relations and a minor in Nutrition and Food Science. She is interning this summer with the Office of Institutional Advancement at Mount de Sales. Kennedy states, “Although the campus has physically changed drastically since I left in 2014, the heart of the school is still evident. I look forward to continuing to learn as a Cavalier, and as always, am very thankful the MDS family.”


Kennedy Bruce, Class of 2014

When I look back on college and the decisions during this time period of my life, there are so many things I wish I had known beforehand. While Mount de Sales gave me an incredibly strong foundation, there are many ways college tested my strength and will power. There are five things I wish I had known before entering college (all of which were lessons learned) that I hope will help those attending college in the fall.

  • Stay Organized

Whether you are laidback, spontaneous, last minute or slightly OCD, staying organized is vital in this period of your life. Time management has never been more important. It is now completely in your hands to choose whether you sleep in and skip class. College allows us to form our own schedules for the first time and with that comes a much higher need for daily organization. The best thing I learned to do is to keep current with some form of a calendar. Due dates and events come at you faster than you even imagine and having a calendar to reference has been one of the most positive decisions I made.

  • Money Value

These four years offer a humbling experience to say the least. There may be days that you will be so broke it’s a joke, but actually not a joke at all. Keep track of your spending and always keep your student ID card on you. Figure out which businesses and restaurants allow students discounts for college students. After all, there’s no shame in flashing your student ID at the register!

  • Meet Your Professors

Always go to office hours! Make a strong effort to get to know your professors, even if this means simply popping in to say hello. Your professors have never been more important. They will soon be your source of recommendations and eventually will be some of your co-workers.

  • Get Involved

Join something! Colleges offer so many awesome resources that lead to opportunities for some of the best networking you will ever experience. Do not hesitate. Find what you’re interested in and follow those passions. You don’t have to join Greek life to make friends, but do join something! Some of the best ways I grew as an adult in college was through my involvements. I wish I had been more involved in some ways, as it is important to a future employer.

  • Appearance Matters

While you would love to think appearances don’t matter, they usually do. Before entering college, I thought how nice it would be to finally not have uniforms and have the option to roll out of bed in my pajamas and go to class. I quickly learned that is not the case. While I am not encouraging dressing in high fashion, I do encourage casual but tasteful. There is so much power in a first impression. Though looks are not everything, a “slacky” first impression is very hard to overcome. You are more likely to gain respect and get what you want from professors if you are dressed and speaking appropriately.

Kennedy at GA Southern, Class of 2018

There is much more that could be on this list, but I believe these five things hold so much truth and will add value to your college experience.


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