10 Non-Academic Reminders & Life Lessons for my Students
And a few professor 'fits from this semester!
Hi friends! This newsletter started as a monthly-ish round-up of life things - what I'm enjoying, reading, learning, buying, doing, thinking about, and more. Sometimes I share about one specific topic, like postpartum essentials or chic diaper bag alternatives, and other times, I share a little ‘Life Lately’ which is… a little bit of everything! Today I’m sharing some life lessons I shared with my Belmont students at the end of our spring semester 💛
Earlier this week, I wrapped up my final in-person class this semester at Belmont! This is my second semester as an adjunct professor in Belmont’s PR & Social Media department. Before that, I was an adjunct professor (virtually!) at Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, the program I graduated from. It’s been a professional goal/dream of mine to teach at the college level for a long time, so it still feels pretty surreal that it’s happening. ✨ I will share a newsletter another time about my journey to become a professor - stay tuned for that! Today, I wanted to share 10 life lessons/reminders for my students outside of academic knowledge. These are reminders I explicitly shared via slides on our last day of class, but also lessons I tried to weave into the entire semester of teaching.
I think education is important, obviously. But I also want to empower and encourage my students that there is SO MUCH MORE than *just* academic knowledge.
1. You don't have to have it all figured out
I still don’t! I’m a 36-year-old mom of three who is still growing, learning, and figuring it out as I go. It’s freeing to accept and embrace that!
2. It's okay not to know what you want to do during/after college
There’s so much pressure on students to have their lives mapped out by the time they’re 21-22 - it’s too much. It’s MORE THAN okay to not know yet!
3. Your degree choice doesn't define you
Honestly, a majority of my friends and colleagues are doing something much different than what they studied in school. I know people who studied broadcast journalism who are now product managers, people who studied public relations who are UX/UI designers, people who studied political science who are marketing experts, and many more examples like this. Likely, your eventual career is not related to your actual major. Totally ok!
4. Stay open-minded and curious
Staying curious allows us to ask questions, seek information, and grow. It allows us to be creative, think outside of the box, and be open to possibilities.
5. Ask for help
Many people want to and are willing to support you!
6. Your future job(s) might not even exist yet!
There were no social media classes when I studied in undergrad and yet my entire career has been in social media. There are also jobs now that didn’t even exist a few years ago. How cool! Things are always changing (especially working in social) and being open to that possibility is exciting!
7. It's okay to change your mind
I PROMISE. IT’S REALLY OKAY!
8. Aspire to be a lifelong learner
This has been a life goal of mine since my early 20s. I never want to feel stagnant, and so I try to be constantly open to learning new things (both professionally and personally).
9. Look how far you’ve come
Take time to reflect on your journey and be proud of yourself for what you’ve gotten through so far. 💗
10. The world is better because you're in it 💛
This same reminder I share with my young daughters is one I want my students to know by the end of the semester. Every single person offers unique, irreplaceable value they bring to the world. I’m glad you’re here.
And wow, sharing all of these outfits makes me think I should do a newsletter all about Nuuly rentals that I ended up purchasing. It’s been a lot! 🙈
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